Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Jack's Journey
by Lord Genesis Shadow
Summary: Sometimes a Human is turned into a Pokémon to save the world. Normally, that Human forgets his past, knowing only that he was Human. Well, Jack was never a normal boy. He's something new. He's something strong. He's, something else. Chapter 21, now up.
1. A Dream? A Nightmare? Or Both?

**Great, I've composed a Pokémon Mystery Dungeon fic. How did this come about? At what point did I think this was a good idea? (Sigh) Oh well, I've written it, and I've got plenty of chapters for it; I may as well post it.**

**Okay, this idea happened during my Cyborg phase. I also happen to like Pokémon. Somewhere along the way during the phase, my imagination started nagging me to write this. I also happen to love Dragon Ball Z. Hence the nickname that I chose. Why I did this I may never fully figure out, but hey, it occupies my time, and that keeps me from going more insane than I am now. (Shrugs) Still, I like where it goes. I find a great sense of friendship through the main characters and they go through some difficult challenges before finally following the game series' 'Human becomes Pokémon to save that world' plot. The difference this time is that, well, you'll find out. After all, follow a path long enough and you're bound to get somewhere.**

**Now, the disclaimer. How many have I done? Well, I don't own the rights to Pokémon, or Pokémon Mystery Dungeon. I own a copy of all four games and I've beaten all of them. But, I don't own the rights to any one of them. There, I've finished that part. Is everybody happy? (Crowd of lawyers nod) Good. Now let's get this show on the road. (Climbs onto black and red Harley and drives off, leaving camera rolling)  
**…

I opened my eyes and looked around slowly. I couldn't figure out where I was. All I could remember was my name and my species and a handful of memories.

"Hey, there's somebody over here!" A child's voice called. I looked around and realized that I was on my back. I tried to stand up, but my body wouldn't cooperate. I tried to move my right arm, and my fist clenched. My body was weak. "He looks hurt." The voice came from past my feet. I tried to raise my head, but it wouldn't move. I let it fall to my left. Perhaps I was injured. "We'd better get him back to the town." I closed my eyes and let sleep overtake me again.  
…

"He's coming around." A kind female voice called. I opened my eyes and immediately closed them. It was bright, too much for my eyes to take right away. "Don't open your eyes so quick, you need to let them adjust." I groaned and tried to move. My arms were responding, but they still felt weak. "Don't move, you seemed to have taken quite a beating." I nodded and rested my head against a semi-firm surface.

"Where am I?" I asked. My voice sounded a bit different, but I assumed it was stress from the damage.

"You're in a small clinic outside of Arbor town." The voice said. "You were found by two little girls. Luckily you were just small enough for the two of them to carry."

'Small?' I thought. 'I'm six feet tall, how could two little girls carry me?' I let my eyes open slowly, letting them take in the light slowly. When I could see, my thoughts came to a screeching halt. A Chansey stood over me. And the voice of a Chansey matched hers perfectly.

"I have to take care of some other Pokémon, but I'll let the girls know that you've come around." She said. I looked around and nodded slowly.

"Thank you." I said.

(System diagnostic: physical status)

*Physical status: abnormal*  
*Physical form: Pokémon, sub-type Chimchar*  
*Program status: intact*  
*Skeletal form: reformed, intact*  
*New special programs and functions: Flame exhalation, retractable claws, enhanced strength, increased agility, increased speed, sharp teeth and increased jaw strength.*

The information did not shock me as much as it should have. I had been transformed into a Pokémon. A Chimchar no less, a small monkey Pokémon that can breathe fire and learn a variety of bite based attacks. Still, I have no idea how I changed.  
…

I should explain. I was once a human, but an accident turned me into a cyborg. All of my organs are artificial, including my heart and brain. I have an internal power core that keeps these organs functioning, and I have two backup power cells that restore my functions when the core is disabled or otherwise inoperable. I used to have tremendous strength by human standards, and when I was forced into my mechanical shell I was even stronger. Now, I am a Chimchar, a small fire monkey that would grow up to be a mythical Pokémon that could supposedly ride on clouds.  
…

"He's right behind this door little ones." The Chansey said. The door opened and a blue Ralts and an Abra walked in slowly. They looked at me for a moment, as if they didn't know whether to come in or not. "Well, I'll leave you to your decision little ones." The Chansey walked away.

"Should we go over to him?" The Ralts asked quietly. "I'm kind of nervous."

"I don't know." The Abra replied in a whisper. "This was your idea." They looked over to me and I smiled softly. "Well, he doesn't seem like a bad Pokémon. And we did save him." I looked out of a nearby window and moved my right hand onto my lap. I looked at my body and heard the door shut and the shuffling of small feet. I looked over as they moved two chairs near my makeshift bed.

"Hello." I said quietly. "I hear that you two saved my life." They blushed and nodded. "Thank you." I bowed my head to them. I heard them giggle for a moment.

"You're welcome." The Ralts said.

"Yeah." The Abra agreed. "We couldn't just leave you there. Not with that monster on the loose." I tilted my head to the left. "There's a rumor that some kind of monster Pokémon is roaming the forest." I nodded.

"Why were you going through the forest if you know of such a rumor?" I asked. They looked at each other and blushed again.

"Well, we heard that it's a fighting Pokémon." The Abra said. "And we psychic types are real good at battling them." The Ralts nodded.

"Yeah." She said. "We figured that we could win if we used our Confusion attacks together." I nodded but frowned.

"A good idea, but if he's strong enough to take that hit more than once, you could end up getting hurt." I said. They nodded. "But you'd fight it anyway?"

"Yes." The Abra said. "We're trying to prove to our parents that we can be strong enough to join the Rescue Team Guild." I tilted my head again. "You've never heard of Rescue Teams?" I nodded. The Abra looked to the Ralts.

"Rescue Teams are groups of Pokémon that help other Pokémon." She said. "Groups are usually two or three Pokémon."

"And you two want to help other Pokémon together?" I asked. They nodded. I smiled. "I hope you beat that fighting Pokémon." They both smiled when a loud crash came from beyond the door.

"Where are they!" A loud voice yelled.

*Voice code registered: Hariyama*  
*Possible 'Monster fighting Pokémon'*  
*Recommend extreme caution in current state*  
*Odds of survival: 1/10*

"That's the monster!" The Abra said loudly. She looked at the Ralts. "What do we do?"

"I don't know, I don't know!" She said. I sat up and groaned. They looked at me.

"It sounds like a Hariyama." I said. "He's a big Pokémon, and he's really strong. He can level a tree in one punch."

"I will teach these children to take my captives!" The Hariyama yelled.

"Please, leave this clinic or we will be forced to turn you in." A Chansey said loudly.

"Get away from me!" The Hariyama yelled. A loud scream was heard. The Chansey had been defeated by the sound of it. "Where are they?" A stomp was heard and the sound of a wall collapsing followed.

"Oh no, what do we do?" The Abra asked. I moved to stand, but my body ached.

*Damage: Moderate*  
*Engaging in combat is not recommended*

(System command: Initiate self repair systems)

*Command accepted*  
*Time to total repair: 1 hr 17 min 37 sec*

"Please, we'll run away." The Ralts said as I stood up with a groan. I shook my head. "We'll be okay, but you're hurt."

"I'll be fine." I said. "We have to stop him before he hurts someone else." They looked at each other.

"Do you think we can win?" The Ralts asked. I gave a lopsided smile.

"I've never met a challenge that I've turned away from." I said. "Jack 'Goku' never turns away from a fight." They both nodded and the Abra pulled a small blue berry from a nearby drawer.

"Eat this." She said. "It will restore some of your strength." I nodded and took the berry. "I'm Alex."

"I'm Liz." The Ralts said. I bit the berry and immediately felt some of my strength returning. "I hope we win." I nodded. I felt heat in my stomach building.

*Strength restored by 15%*  
*Combat abilities active: Scratch, Ember, and Leer*  
*Combat strength: Level 12*  
*Allied combat strength: Abra: Level 7  
Ralts: Level 5*

The door splintered and a large Pokémon walked in. He had no visible mouth and he was very round. His hands had three flat tipped fingers and he had his hair done up in a small bun on top of his head. He stomped in and stared at me.

*Enemy combat strength: Hariyama: Level 20*  
*Chance of victory: 62%*

"You dare to steal my captive?" He asked in a threatening voice. The girls whimpered as I finished off the berry and hopped down. "You will all join my prisoners soon, but first I am going to beat you to within an inch of your lives!" He stomped forward and I jumped above him. I landed on top of his head and he started yelling.

"Let's get him!" I yelled.

He reached up and I loosed a flame from my mouth. It burned his right hand and he pulled it away. I felt him buckle and saw the girls' eyes glowing blue. They were using their psychic powers to push him back. I held his hair tightly and began scratching his head with my claws. He yelled in pain as he fell on his back. I jumped away and landed near Liz. I turned to see him getting up so I loosed another flame to his legs. He screamed and clambered to his feet and was immediately back on the ground. He looked up and I leered at him. His eyes went wide as I ran toward him and began clawing at his face again. The girls were lifting objects and smashing them on him when he suddenly went limp.

"Oh my, did we overdo it?" Alex asked. I knelt down and listened to his breathing. I stood up and shook my head.

"He's still breathing." I said. They both sighed. "I'm more worried about the Chansey." I turned around as a Magnezone floated in flanked by two Magnemite.

"What happened in here?" One Magnemite asked.

"It looks like these youngsters defeated a wanted criminal." The Magnezone said. "Did you defeat this wanted Pokémon?" We all looked between ourselves, and then at the Magnezone and nodded. "Amazing, simply amazing. You took down a terrible criminal today." A Magnemite floated beside me with a bag. I heard the jingling of coins. Two more Magnemite floated in by the girls with equally big bags. "The reward for his capture comes to three thousand Poké. Well done kids." The Magnemite floated by the downed Hariyama and used magnetism to lift him from the ground. He let a pained groan as he was floated out the door. "We've rescued his other captives and we shall be informing your parents of your heroic deeds." The girls were smiling happily, while I was looking at the bag. "Is something the matter little Chimchar?" I looked up to see the Magnezone looking at me. I nodded.

"I don't have any parents." I said. "I don't have anywhere to go." The Magnezone looked at me for a moment and looked as though it were nodding.

"You could join our Rescue Team." Liz said after a moment. I looked at her to see Alex nodding. "You were so brave back there; we think you should be our captain." I thought about it.

'I don't have a clue what's going on.' I thought. 'And I have nothing better to do. I like helping people, and Pokémon here are like people.' I nodded. "Sure. I'd be honored." The girls squealed and grabbed each other's hands and proceeded to jump up and down for a moment.

"Well, that solves that dilemma." Magnezone said. I looked up to see it floating toward the door. "Good luck to all of you. And stay out of trouble." It turned around and floated out the door.

"Wow, we can finally tell our parents that we're forming a real Rescue Team." Liz said. I turned to the bag and opened it. There were a number of gold coins with a P on the front with a line going down it. "This is going to be fun." I turned to see them lifting the bags onto their backs, using their powers to make the load lighter. I grabbed my own bag and slung it over my right shoulder as the Chansey ran in and immediately felt my forehead.

"Oh thank goodness." She said. "I heard that you defeated that awful Hariyama." We all nodded. "Are you okay dear?" I nodded and smiled.

"I'm fine now." I said. "I feel like a million Poké." She smiled.

"You must have eaten that Oran berry from the desk drawer." She said. I nodded, remembering the blue berry I had eaten. "Well, you be careful. I don't want you in here unless you're in need of help." I nodded. "Now you three can leave whenever you want. I have to check on the other patients."  
…

We travelled to the house Liz's parents lived. They were a Gardevoir and a Gallade. They seemed worried until Liz told them about the plan.

"You mean that you really want to form a Rescue Team with Alex and this Chimchar you've just met?" The Gallade asked. Liz nodded.

"His name is Goku, and he helped us take down a Hariyama." She said. Her parents looked at me for a moment.

"He doesn't look too strong." Gallade said. "I'm not sure I want to trust him with your safety." Gardevoir nodded.

"And we don't get many Chimchar in this region." She said. "We don't even know his parents and if it's okay with them." I watched as Gallade looked me over with a frown.

"I know you're getting stronger Liz, but you're still just a child." He said. "Can't you at least wait until you're a Kirlia?" Liz shook her head.

"With Alex and Goku, we can handle anything." She said. "As long as we look out for each other, we'll be okay. We'll become a great Rescue team together, I just know it." Alex nodded, though she was blushing.

*Gallade strength estimation: Level 36*  
*Gardevoir strength estimation: Level 38*

"Well, okay." Gardevoir said. "But I've got one condition for Jack here." She looked at me and knelt down. "You have to promise to look out for these girls. Okay Jack?" I nodded.

"I promise to make sure that they don't get hurt." I said. "If they do, I'll come here to face your punishment." Gardevoir looked at me for a moment.

"Is this on your own code of honor Goku?" Gallade asked, also kneeling down in front of me. I nodded. He smiled. "If anything happens to our little girl, we'll go to your parents." I looked away.

"I don't know my parents."I said truthfully. Gallade frowned. "It's okay though. I'm willing to allow you to make sound judgment if I mess up." Liz looked at me with what I believed to be newfound respect.  
…

Next we walked to the home of Alex. Her parents were a pair of Alakazam. They were talking mentally, but it seemed that they were taking the news well. The parents looked at me for a moment before the father walked over.

"I'm willing to let my daughter go, but only if you promise to protect her as best you can." He said. I nodded.

"I promise to protect both of them to the best of my ability, even if I have to lay down my life to do so." I said seriously. He gave me a perplexed look. "On my own code of honor, I will not let any harm come to these girls." He nodded.

"I shall hold you to that." He said with a smile.  
…

We stood in front of the Rescue Guild. Inside we would register for training, and when that was complete, we would be a fully fledged Rescue Team. We stood in front of the main gate and the girls seemed a little nervous. I had my money bag slung over my right shoulder. I had picked up a piece of coral that had grown in the shape of a small pipe. I had it in my teeth and I occasionally exhaled a puff of smoke through the hole. The pipe felt stronger than normal coral, and it wouldn't break in my teeth.

"This is it." Liz said happily. I looked over to her. She had been given a blue scarf from her mother. It was a special scarf that focused her mind to let her use her psychic powers easier. "The Rescue Guild."

"Yeah, this is going to be a tough trial, but it'll be worth it." Alex said. I nodded and puffed out another bit of smoke from my coral pipe. She looked over at me. Her mother had given her a pair of glasses that increased her focus as well as let her see a little better. "What do you say boss?" I looked at the door and then at a wooden grate on the ground. I nodded.

"No time like the present." I said, a small amount of white smoke issuing from my mouth. The girls laughed and Liz walked over the grate.

"Pokémon detected." A voice said. Liz looked around for a moment. "Identifying visitor."

"Just wait Liz." I said. "Some kind of sentry is making sure we aren't bad Pokémon." Liz gulped and nodded.

"Footprint belongs to Ralts." The voice said. "Next visitor step onto the grate." Liz stepped aside and Alex stepped up. "Pokémon detected. Identifying visitor." I chuckled at the repeat performance. "Footprint belongs to Abra. Please allow third visitor to stand on grate."

"Your turn chief." Alex said as she stepped off the grate. I nodded and stepped up.

"Pokémon detected." The voice said again. "Identifying visitor." I heard the girls giggle as I puffed once on my pipe. "Pokémon is… Maybe Chimchar."

"What do you mean maybe!" A loud voice called.

"We don't get many Chimchar in the area." The other voice replied. "Take a look up top if you want to make sure."

"All right, that's what I'll do then!" The loud voice yelled.

*First voice identified: Diglett*  
*Second voice identified: Loudred*

"Visitor may step off of the grate." The Diglett said. "Loudred will be coming up to verify your identity." I looked down the hole and saluted. I removed the pipe and exhaled the smoke away from the hole.

"Thank you." I called down the hole. "You're doing an excellent job. I am indeed a Chimchar." I stepped off the grate as a Loudred opened the gate and walked out. He looked at me and nodded. "I've already confirmed my identity to Diglett." The girls looked at me for a moment as the Loudred seemed to be thinking.

"Well, thanks." He said quietly. "But what are you three doing here? We don't need any supplies right now, and if you're selling anything else, we ain't buying." I nodded.

"We're here to form a Rescue Team." Liz said. Loudred looked at her for a moment.

"Are you now?" He asked. "Well then, follow me to the Guild masters office. He'll get you set up in no time."  
…

We walked behind the Loudred and saw a lot of Pokémon talking amongst themselves. A ponyta was conversing with a Metang and a Bellsprout was chatting with a Doduo. There was even a Blastoise and a Charizard having a conversation about how to best combine their strongest attacks.

"We have a lot of teams this year, and a lot of them are real rookies." Loudred said. "That Blastoise and Charizard just joined a couple of days ago, and they're still learning the basics of being a Rescue team." The girls nodded. Alex was floating in the air while Liz struggled to keep up. I walked behind her so I picked her up with my left hand. She and Alex had decided to pool the reward until we had a place to store our money, so I had no problem carrying her and the heavy reward bag.

"Hey, what are you doing?" Liz asked quickly. Loudred looked over his shoulder.

"Looking out for my friends." I said. "We don't need you tired out when we meet the Guild master." Loudred chuckled.

"Trying to make a good impression eh?" He asked. I nodded.

"We don't want to be seen as anything less than a group of friends." I said. Liz and Alex looked at me as we walked. "A team is coordinated through orders. I'd rather we learn each other's body language so we can react faster than that." They both nodded.  
…

"This is where I head back to Diglett." Loudred announced. "The Guild master is through this door. Her assistant Chatot may come off a bit high and mighty, but he's a good guy at heart. Just be nice and respect them both, and you should have no problem getting everything set up." We all nodded as he walked away. His voice was loud, but he seemed to be keeping it in check pretty well. "And don't forget to knock first!" We chuckled as I set Liz on the floor. I raised my left hand and rapped three times against the sturdy wood.

"Come in." A happy voice called. I opened the door and the girls walked in. I let out one last puff and took the pipe in my left hand. "So you want to start a Rescue Team?" I walked in and saw a Wigglytuff. This Pokémon was one of the toughest around. It was known to be able to withstand a lot of punishment and could shrug off most any attack with ease. We all nodded at her statement.

"Why do you wish to start a team?" The Chatot asked.

"We want to help Pokémon in trouble." Liz said. "The more Pokémon we help, the safer the world will be right?" The Chatot nodded. His note shaped tail was moving like a metronome, as was the note shaped feather on the back of his head. I couldn't help but feel calmed by the effect.

"I like these Pokémon Chatot." Wigglytuff said.

"I feel as if I know them." Chatot said. "I've heard of a Hariyama that was beaten by the efforts of three young Pokémon. A Chimchar, a blue Ralts, and an Abra. Just like these three." We all nodded. "Surely you are not the ones from the reports?"

"Yes we are." Liz said. "He was tough, but we took him down before he ever even attacked." Chatot squawked in surprise but quickly composed himself and cleared his throat.

"Well, the reports were true then." He said. "I'd actually been hoping to meet you three." He turned to the Guild master, his tail doing the metronome movement again. "I believe that they will prove most worthy apprentices Guild master." Wigglytuff nodded. "Then we are in agreement. I shall handle the paperwork tomorrow morning." Wigglytuff nodded again.

"And to commemorate this moment, I'd like you three to have these." She said. She turned around and pulled out three gold plated boxes and set one down in front of each of us. "Inside are your guild badges, and equipment pouches. And you each get a unique gift from each one." She giggled. "I'm so happy to have new friends joining the Guild." She hopped and spun about as we opened the boxes.

"Wow, a metal spoon!" Alex said happily. "This is perfect for my training." She pinned the badge to her pouch as she put it on around her waist. Liz gasped and pulled out a small blue beret.

"This is so cute." She said. She put it on and smiled. She put her own pouch on her left shoulder.

"It has a kind of special power that keeps items from becoming sticky when you wear it." Chatot said proudly. "It used to be mine back in my younger days." Liz bowed.

"Thank you mister Chatot." She said. Chatot looked happy, but also as though he were blushing.

I opened my own bag and pulled out the rescue pouch and put it on like a belt with the pouch on my left side. I pulled out the bag and looked inside. There was a ragged silver scarf, but it didn't look like it would unravel.

"Each item in your bags is unique." Chatot said. "The item within was either once used by an adventurer or was placed within by our Guild master." I pulled out the scarf and Chatot seemed confused. "I don't remember that scarf however. Do you Guild master?" Wigglytuff shook her head. "Where did it come from then?" I slung it around my neck and felt a surge of power. "It must be an Aura Scarf. It appears to the wearer if a scarf is left within a bag for a long time with no owner." I placed my money bag within the larger bag, which fit perfectly into the Rescue pouch. "It increases the wearers' abilities by nearly double, and shows the color of the owners Aura." They all looked at me for a moment. "We should bring in an Aura specialist I believe." I looked at Chatot. "Ones Aura is unique, but most are a specific color that relates to ones spirit and personality. I have never seen a silver one before."

"I've had my Aura checked before." Wigglytuff said with a giggle. "It was bright pink. It meant that I was happy and I like almost everyone I meet." Chatot nodded.

"That was a perfect match." He said. "Mine was a dull green however. I believe that Aura specialist was joking however. She said that I was very controlling and somewhat of a 'stick in the mud'." Wigglytuff laughed for a moment. "Well, tomorrow we shall take you to the specialist, get your paperwork done, and give you your first assignment." The three of us nodded. "But first, what will you call your team?" We all looked at each other for a moment. "You mean that you haven't thought of a name yet?"

"We haven't really thought about it." Liz said. "We were kind of hoping Goku would come up with one." Liz looked at me, as did the others. I thought for a moment. "Our team name should be something special, something that tells people about us."

"It should also be an expression of our combined natures." Alex said. "Liz, you're always looking for the bright side of things and you're a bit impulsive." Liz nodded.

"And you're always worried and thinking about consequences while assessing the bad side of things." She added.

"Sounds kind of chaotic if you ask me." Chatot chimed in.

"Team Chaos sound good to anyone?" I asked. They all looked at me. Alex seemed to be thinking about it while Liz smiled. "I mean, you two are kind of opposites. Also, you're both psychic types, and I'm a fire type that will one day grow into a part fighting type." They all nodded. "Kind of like two opposing forces, creating Chaos, but in a good way." Liz smiled bigger.

"I like it." She said. "It's perfect. Alex, what do you think?" Alex shrugged.

"I can't see any problems with it." She said. "Team Chaos it is."

"Team Chaos, the newest apprentices." Chatot mused. "Our little guild just keeps getting bigger."


	2. New friends, new enemies, and rules

Okay, part two of Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Goku the Infernape King. You will be happy to know that I got over my confusion of writing this not five minutes after posting the first chapter. How did I get over my confusion? I stopped caring about it.

Disclaimer: Hello, my name is Lord Genesis Shadow; I don't own the rights to Pokémon or Pokémon Mystery Dungeon, so go away.

This chapter deals with a few things of being new members of the Rescue Guild, once more controlled by a Wigglytuff and a Chatot. These are not the same as the ones from Time and Darkness but are somewhat similar. They may act similar, but that's about as close as it gets. The three seem overpowered, but it's because of planning on the part of Jack and his extra power from being part machine. Think of him as a Terminator that once was human and retains his humanity and some of his organs.  
…

We walked into our area of the apprentices' sleeping quarters. Each bed was unique to the Pokémon using it. Liz had a soft bed that helped her fall asleep faster. Alex had a small pillow that seemed to float a few inches from the floor.

"Wow, these beds are perfect." Liz said. "They're even sized for our evolved forms so we can grow into them." Alex nodded. I looked at my own bed. It was a pile of hot coals. I felt happy to see it, probably due to my newfound body.

"This pillow will let me sleep without using my powers to support myself." Alex said happily. "I can sleep easier now." She climbed onto the pillow and yawned. "We should get some sleep. We have to get up early for roll call." Liz and I nodded. I noticed that my bed was between both of theirs.

"Yeah, we've got a big first day ahead of us." Liz said. She sat down on her own bed and yawned. I stretched my arms and sat down on the coals. I set my pipe a few feet away and yawned.

"Good night girls." I said.

"Good night." They both said in unison.  
…

*System activation*  
*Wakeup protocols running*  
*Photoreceptors detecting morning sunlight*  
*System status: Chimchar frame warm but within acceptable tolerances*  
*Wakeup protocols complete: Activating*

I opened my eyes slowly and looked around. I grabbed my coral pipe and placed it between my teeth and pointed it out of the right side of my mouth. I looked around to see Alex meditating on her pillow and Liz resting in her bed under her soft blanket. I stood up and stretched and looked at my coals. They were still glowing. Somehow I had slept peacefully on burning embers without being burned myself. The door opened and Loudred stepped inside. I looked over at him and he stared at me.

"Good, at least one of you is awake." He said. "Wake your friends up. Morning assembly starts in ten minutes." He stepped out and shut the door. I stretched and let a puff of smoke from my mouth. I stepped over to Liz and gently placed my right hand on her left shoulder.

"Liz, wake up." I said quietly. She stirred but still slept. I gently nudged her. "Come on Liz, we need to get going." She yawned as I moved my hand away from her.

"What's going on?" She asked.

"Morning assembly in ten minutes." I replied. "You get ready while I wake Alex up." Liz nodded and sat up. She stretched and climbed out of bed. I turned and saw Alex looking at me.

"No need boss." She said. "I'm already up." She hopped off of her pillow and stretched. I grabbed my kit, as did the girls and we walked out the door.  
…

We went through the morning hurrah and were told to take a look around town and get some supplies before we started working. We would then report back and take job offers from a bulletin board in the main area.

We were walking through the town and came upon a Murkrow running a bank, a family of fighting types running a training Dojo, and a pair of Keckleon running two different item shops. There were other shops, but nobody was running them at the moment.

"I guess we should start at the item shops." Liz suggested. I nodded.

"It never hurts to be prepared." Alex agreed. We walked over and the two Keckleon bowed.

"Welcome to the Keckleon brothers trading post." One said. This one was green with a red stripe on his midsection while the other was purple with a red stripe. "We are honored to assist you with any of your trading needs."

"Hello." Liz said cheerfully. "We're new apprentices at the Guild. I'm Liz."

"I'm Alex." Alex said calmly.

"And I am Jack 'Goku'." I said with a puff of smoke.

"Ah, a new Rescue Team in training." The purple Keckleon said. "You will no doubt be regular customers at our establishment." The green Keckleon stared at me for a moment.

"Excuse me for asking, but is that by any chance a Coral Pipe?" He asked. I nodded. "Those are very rare. Indeed, they are so rare that they are said to choose their owners." The purple Keckleon nodded.

"Yes, they are also said to increase the fire powers of any fire type Pokémon that use them." He said. I raised the pipe so I could see it. I let a puff of smoke out of it and nodded.

"I do feel my inner fire growing stronger whenever I have it in my mouth." I said. "That would explain it." The Keckleon nodded.

"Yes and the smoke is actually quite refreshing to most Pokémon." The purple one said. The girls nodded. "Now, I assume you came for supplies." He held out three pieces of paper and we each took one. "These supplies just came in this morning. They are moderately priced, and we hope you find anything you need today."

*List analysis complete: Apple-25 15p  
Reviver seed-10 50p  
Blast seed-15 20p  
Knuckle dusters-1 pair 100p  
Aura headband-3 150p*

"What do you think we should get?" Liz asked. "There are a lot of things we could use."

"I think we should get these headbands." Alex suggested. I nodded. "They'll provide a boost to our powers, and they'll give us a theme. It would be a good way to identify ourselves when we get somewhere when we're a little better known." Liz nodded.

"I could use these knuckle dusters myself." I said. "They'll give me more powerful punch." They looked at me. I looked at the Keckleon brothers, who were smiling.

"Will that be all?" The green one asked.

"Actually, we'll also like six apples, and three reviver seeds." Alex said. "And maybe three blast seeds for tough situations." She looked at me. "If it's okay with you Goku." I nodded.

"That sounds like what we'll need." I said. The Keckleon brothers went about getting the items while I pulled out eight hundred and fifty of the Poké so I could pay.

"Why are you taking out so much Poké?" Liz asked. I looked at her as I put the money on the counter.

"That is the total that we will have to pay." I replied. "Having the currency ready in advance will save the Keckleon brothers' time."

"Yes, and for that we thank you." The green Keckleon said.  
…

We walked into the Aura readers shop with Chatot. The owner was a Lucario with a blindfold.

"Welcome to my shop." She said. "I see why you have come." Everybody stared at her, then at me. "Yes, the silver Aura of this Chimchar." She walked over to me, easily avoiding the furniture. She stepped over to me and placed her right paw on my forehead. "Yes, as I suspected. You are destined for greatness." The others looked at me as I calculated the odds. "You are brave, decisive, and very protective of your friends. You will do something that will affect the entire world one day."  
…

We walked through a nearby forest, keeping an eye out for a missing Kakuna. Our mission was easy, since Chatot dismissed the words of the Lucario as a way to make some easy Poké. I looked around, scanning for Kakuna. The one in question had a red star on his shell.

"Where do you think he is?" Liz asked from behind me. I shrugged.

"He should be easy to spot." I replied. I looked to my left and spotted a small sphere on the ground. I looked at it and decided to pick it up. "What's this?" Alex walked over and looked at it.

"That's an escape orb." She said. "Smash this against the ground and we all reappear outside the guild. It's real good if one of us gets hurt real badly, we can just smash one of these and head back." I nodded and put it in my bag. "Also, some places have some kind of energy that makes it just shatter pointlessly."

"Hey, I see a Kakuna." Liz called. We turned to see a Kakuna hanging from a tree. "Is this the one we're looking for?" We walked over and I looked at the Kakuna. It turned an eye toward us, but it seemed kind of nervous. "Are you okay little fella?" It shook and fell to the ground, sticking in slightly. It turned and seemed to be tensing its muscles.

"Are you a Rescue Team?" It asked. We all nodded.

"We're here to help you get home." Liz said. She pulled her badge off of her pack and held it out.

"Wait." Kakuna said. "My friend Metapod is in further. She's stuck in a big tree further in. She needs help." He turned to look down a long path with a turn halfway. I looked down there and nodded.

"We'll help her." I said. "We'll send you back to the guild and we'll be back with your friend in a bit." Liz and Alex nodded. Kakuna nodded.

"Who are you nice Pokémon?" He asked. Liz smiled.

"We're Team Chaos." She said. "I'm Liz." She pointed to Alex. "This is my best friend Alexis." Alex nodded. She looked over at me. "And this is our boss Goku." I gave a puff of my pipe.

"Thank you all." Kakuna said. "I'll be waiting back at the guild." Liz held out the badge and he tapped it with his head. He was engulfed in a bright yellow light and vanished.

"Okay, new plan." Alex said calmly. She adjusted her glasses as I pulled out my knuckle dusters. "We save Metapod and hopefully that will be it." Liz nodded. "Sir, why are you putting on your dusters?" I looked behind me to see a trio of Oddish heading our way.

"We have company." I said casually, turning to face them. They looked angry. "I don't think they want us here."

"Oddish aren't normally dangerous, but they look mad." Liz said. Her eyes began glowing while Alex grabbed her spoon. "What do we do?"

"We wait to see if they'll leave us alone." I said. The Oddish began walking toward us. "If they attack, we incapacitate them however necessary." One of the Oddish gave me an angry look. "But I guess they already plan to attack anyway." The girls nodded as I puffed some smoke out of the right side of my mouth. The Oddish charged and I jumped up as the girls used their powers to throw rocks at them. I landed behind them and blasted the one on my left with a quick ember. The one on the right was hit by a stone and I punched the last one in the side. The hit landed with a strange thump. They were all defeated with minimal effort. "And that takes care of that little problem." I removed the dusters and placed them in my pack.

"We should get going before more come." Alex said. I looked over to see the girls with sad expressions. "I don't like hurting other Pokémon." I nodded and began walking toward them, keeping an eye open for the Metapod and any other Pokémon that might attack.  
…

I looked up a tree to see a Metapod stuck with some kind of string. It was unconscious, but it didn't seem hurt.

"How did she get up there?" Liz asked. The tree wasn't tall, but I was the only one who could climb easily. Alex could manage with her claws, but Liz would have to wait. I looked at the Metapod closer and saw several blue spores and the string seemed like what a bug Pokémon would spit to slow down an incoming predator. "What kind of string is that?"

"I think we should get ready for a fight." I said cautiously. I retrieved my knuckle dusters and let a puff of smoke out of the left side of my mouth. "He's got some sleep powder on him, and that looks like Beedrill string shot."The girls looked around as a trio of bushes began shaking. "And it looks like they're using Metapod as bait." A Vileplume jumped out of a bush, flanked by two Beedrill. I grimaced and put the dusters on my hands.

"You figured us out so easily." One of the wasp Pokémon buzzed. I couldn't tell which one said it though because neither one had a visible mouth. "You must be a smart little monkey." The Vileplume held up its giant flower and looked at me.

"But you still fell into our trap." It said. It was female by the vocal tone. "You'll make for good fertilizer for my children." I looked at the girls and then back at our enemies.

*Vileplume strength: Level 20*  
*Beedrill combined strength: Level 20*  
*Odds of victory: 2/1*

"I think we can win." I said quietly. "But you two should handle the bugs."

"Are you sure you can handle that Vileplume?" Alex whispered. I nodded. "Okay then. If you're sure about this." I let a puff of white smoke from my mouth.

"Let's do this." Liz agreed.

"You don't really think you can beat us do you?" The Vileplume asked. I struck a fighting stance. "You're going to regret this." It began shaking its flower while the Beedrill flew into the air. A number of yellow spores began flying from the flower, making me grin.

*Stun spore identified: Highly flammable*

"Too easy flower gal." I taunted. I felt the small flame where my tail should have been growing. I loosed an ember attack at the spores, making them catch fire. The sparks went into the flower as the Vileplume screamed loudly. She caught fire and fell over and began rolling. The first Beedrill flew toward me too fast to launch another ember attack. I started to jump away when a stone hit the Beedrill in the side, knocking it off course onto the hard ground. I ran forward as the Vileplume stood up. She gave me an angry glare and the flower began glowing. "Oh no." I started to run away to my right when she lowered the flower at me. I was ten feet away from the girls when a blast of light fired at me. I held my arms in front of me and took the hit head on. Luckily this was a superheated beam, so I was able to absorb that part, but the impact pushed me back several feet. I dropped to my right knee as the other Beedrill hit the ground unconscious. I stood up shakily and let out another puff of white smoke. "Is that all you've got?" The Vileplume was exhausted and was barely standing. My attack had done more damage than I had hoped. The fire had gone inside her flower and burned her badly. She was in a lot of pain, and her only remaining partner was barely standing as well. "Get out of here now. Take your Hench wasp and stay away from us." I staggered briefly and the Vileplume gave me an evil glare. We locked eyes as the Beedrill and the girls watched. The Beedrill didn't stand a chance against them, and I had an ace in the hole anyway.

"Boss." The Beedrill said. "We'd better back off for now. We'll get them next time." The Vileplume growled as the other Beedrill struggled to get up.

"Let's go boys." She yelled. "We'll get these Rescue weaklings later." She took off running into the forest while the two Beedrill flew a short distance behind her.

"We did it." Liz said happily. "We beat those mean Pokémon back and we saved Metapod." I nodded tiredly.

"Yeah." I said. I let out another puff of smoke. "And next time we'll be even stronger." I looked up and pulled out an Oran berry. I pulled out the pipe and looked at it.

"Are you okay Jack?" Alex asked. I nodded.

"That Solar Beam was a good one." I said. "If it weren't for my being a fire type that would have knocked me out cold." I took a bite of the berry and savored the flavors. I looked up as Metapod woke up. I popped in the rest of the berry and jumped onto the tree. "Don't worry Metapod; we're here to get you out of here."

"There's a mean Vileplume here." It said. It was a female Metapod. "You need to run. She's really powerful." I climbed up as Alex started up after me.

"We've already taken care of her and her buzzing buddies." I said. "She was tough, but we had the advantage of being the good guys." I set up beside her and started clawing at the string carefully. It stuck at first, but after a while my nails started ripping the string away. "Man this stuff is sticky." Alex set up on the other side and followed my example.

"I'll keep an eye out for any trouble." Liz said. We nodded.

Fifteen minutes of work paid off and Metapod was back on the ground safely.

"Thank you all." She said. "I thought I was a goner." Liz held out her badge.

"Don't worry." She said. "We weren't about to let someone hurt you." Metapod shifted to what looked like a nod and she touched the badge.

"Thank you again." She said. "I'll see you back at the guild." We nodded as she vanished. We looked around and saw nothing else.

"Shall we take the long way back?" I asked. I pulled out the escape orb. "Or the shortcut?" The girls giggled.

"Let's go then." Alex said calmly. They stood on either side of me as the orb began glowing. "This should be fun." I dropped the orb and it splintered and vanished. A blue light enveloped us and the next thing I saw was the guild entrance and the two cocoon Pokémon jumping by one another. They turned to look at us as and jumped up again. "Wow that was fast." I nodded and let out another puff of smoke.

"Thank you." A male voice said from behind us. I turned to see a Beedrill and a Butterfree flying toward us. "You saved our children."

"I'm so glad you were able to save my little Millie." The Butterfree said. "I don't know what I would have done if she were hurt."

"We can't ignore a Pokémon in danger." Alex said. "We went into the forest to save one Kakuna, and we end up being able to save your daughter as well." She smiled. "We're glad we could help." Liz and I nodded.  
…

I sat on my bed and put my pipe in my Rescue pack. I stretched and looked over to the girls. They had fallen asleep immediately.

'It's been a rough day.' I thought. 'That fight must have taken more out of them than I thought.' I suppressed a small burp. 'Or maybe it was that meal.' I smiled and moved a small pile of coals to make a pillow. It was still warm, and the coals were in the exact places that I had left them when I had gotten up. They were also very soothing, perhaps because I used to love fire when I was a human. 'Well, big day tomorrow. I might as well get some shut eye.' I lowered my head onto the coals and smiled. They were hot, but they felt nice.

"Goku?" Liz asked. I looked over to her.

"Yeah Liz?" I replied. She was looking at me.

"Do you think that Lucario was right?" She asked. "She said that you were destined for greatness. Do you think that means that we'd be with you for that?" I smiled.

"I think she meant that we are all destined for something great." I said. "If it were just me I'd trade that greatness just to stay with you and Alex." Liz smiled at me. "There's no point in being great if you're alone." She nodded.

"Thanks Goku." She said. "You're a good friend." I smiled and closed my eyes.

"Only because of you and Alex." I replied. "I can only be a good friend because I have good friends around me." I opened my eyes to see her smiling. "Good night Liz."

"Good night Goku." She said through a yawn. "We've got a big day ahead of us." She rolled over and I rolled onto my back. I laced my fingers behind my head and looked at the ceiling.

'Destined for greatness.' I thought. I smirked. 'Not without my friends. No point in being great unless I can share the spotlight. It's too bright for one Pokémon to handle.' I closed my eyes and felt sleep quickly overtaking me.  
…

*Wakeup program activating*  
*All systems functioning properly*  
*Movement detected*

I switched optical sensors to see through my eyelids. Liz was looking at me, and then at Alex. She seemed confused. She looked down at me for a moment before moving back. I tracked her to see her picking up her Rescue kit.

"I'd better go." She whispered. "I'll just mess things up." I groaned and she gasped quietly.

"No you won't." I said tiredly. I sat up and stretched. I opened my eyes after switching the sensors to normal. "Without you I wouldn't even be here right now. If it weren't for you, who knows what that Hariyama would have done to me?" She sighed as I pulled out my pipe.

"I don't know Goku." She said. "What if I'm just holding you and Alex back? I could end up hurting us sometime down the road. I couldn't live with myself if I ended up letting you or Alex get hurt." I stood up and put on my Rescue kit. "I'd better just leave and go back to my parents." I shook my head.

"Liz, I'd rather you didn't do that." I said. "Without you, it's just me and Alex." I chuckled. "If you left you really would hurt us." She lowered her face and sniffed. "Without you, we'd be short the bright and happy part of Team Chaos. All we'd be left with is my confident stubbornness and Alex's cautiousness." She sniffed again. "Without your bright cheery attitude, we'd never be the same." She looked up at me. "And we'd be sad all the time without you. So stay with us Liz." She nodded and wiped her eyes.

"Okay." She said. I smiled. "I'm sorry about this whole thing. I'm just a bit nervous." I nodded.

"Me too." I said. "I nearly got beaten yesterday by that Vileplume. I'm still a bit shaken by that Solar beam." Liz giggled and Alex yawned.

"What's goin' on?" She asked. I chuckled while Liz looked at me nervously.

"Just having a little pep talk." I said. "We'd better get ready for the morning meeting." Alex nodded and slid off of her pillow and stretched. I let a puff of smoke and looked at the door as Loudred opened it. "We're all set this morning Loudred." He nodded and shut the door.  
…

We walked about the town after selecting two jobs in the forest I was found in. A Geodude had been beaten and was hiding in a tree from the wild Pokémon. He had gone in to find a friend and wasn't prepared for all of the grass type Pokémon in the area. His friend was the second job. An Aron was stuck in a hole and couldn't climb out and the walls were covered by strong rocks that she couldn't break through. We figured that it would be best to help both of them.

We walked up to the Keckleon mart and saw that they were talking.

"I think we should give them another chance brother." The purple one said.

"I don't know, they didn't really seem that trustworthy." The green one said. We walked up and they spotted us. "Oh, hello. It is good to see you again Team Chaos. What brings you to our shop today?"

"We were hoping to get some supplies." Liz said.

"What were you talking about?" Alex asked. The brothers looked at each other.

"Just some Pokémon that helped us some time ago." The green Keckleon said. "It was later found out that they had allegedly been stealing the items they were giving us."

"I've heard that they have turned over a new leaf." The purple one said. "I want to let them help stock our store again. We'd have a bigger selection and more in stock." I nodded. "But my brother doesn't trust them." The green one nodded. "But this isn't for you to worry about. What can we do for you?" He held out three small menus and we looked them over.  
…

We ended up buying three Oran berries apiece. I looked around the town and we decided to head out. When we got to the forest it was quiet. I looked around at different trees and saw no traces of any Geodude. I told Alex and Liz to keep an eye out for the hole, just in case we came upon the Aron before the Geodude. We walked by a tall tree and I saw the Geodude holding onto a branch.

"There's Geodude." I said. The girls looked up and nodded. "Geodude!" He looked away from his branch and looked at me. "We're here to help. Do you need any help getting down?" He shook and let go of the branch and hit the ground.

"I'm okay." He said. "I just keep running into everything that can beat me. Razor leaf, Vine whip, Magical leaf. I'm getting tired of getting hurt here." I nodded and held out my badge.

"We'll help Aron." I said. "You might be better off waiting at the guild." He nodded and touched the badge.

"Thank you." He said. "Be careful in there. There's a rumor of an angry Vileplume having set up shop in here somewhere." I lowered my head as he disappeared.

"She doesn't give up." Liz said. "If we see her, we'd better hurry and get out. She won't be so stupid this time around." I nodded.

"If we can't avoid her, we'll have to change up our routine." I said. "She'll avoid using stun spore or sleep powder this time. She'll probably just use Solar beam on one of you." Liz nodded. "Then she'll do it again, and then on me." Alex looked around.

"We'd better hurry then." She said. "The longer we spend here, the more likely we are to run into her." I nodded and we began walking faster. I switched to my echo sonar in a small window and kept a lookout for any sign of a large hole.

"How do we get the Aron out of the hole?" Liz asked. I shrugged. "Maybe I can use my psychic power to lift her."

"That sounds like a good plan to me." I said. "Good thinking." I heard her giggle.

"I'll probably need Alex's help though." She said.

"As usual." Alex chimed.  
…

We walked up to the edge of a big hole to see an Aron trying to climb up.

"Stupid hole." She said. "How did I fall for this stupid thing anyway?" I looked to the girls and they nodded. The Aron suddenly had a blue aura around her and she began floating up. "Hey! What's going on?"

"We're here to help you get home." I said. "Just calm down and we'll have you out of here in no time." She stopped squirming and floated out. The girls set her down and sighed. "Are you okay?"

"I'll be fine." She said. "Apart from the embarrassment of falling into a pit anyway." I nodded and held out the badge. "Thanks. I'll see you back at the guild." We nodded as she vanished.

"I can teleport us back to the guild." Alex said. Liz and I looked over at her. "I just learned it today. I just needed the confidence." Liz and I exchanged looks and nodded.

"Sounds good to me." I said. I looked behind Alex and saw the Vileplume gathering light in her flower with a malicious grin. "We'd better hurry." Alex looked behind her and nodded. She grabbed my right hand and put her other hand on Liz's left shoulder. Just as we began teleporting the beam of light flew at us. We moved out of sight just as it neared us.

We appeared in front of the guild to see the Geodude and Aron talking. They turned to us as we set down.

"That was fun." Liz said happily. I let a puff of smoke from the pipe and nodded. I pulled out the pipe and tapped it against the back of my left hand. "We'll have to do that again."

"Yeah, that was a ride worth going on all the time." I said with a smile. The Geodude floated up to us and set down a small bag.

"Here's the reward." He said. He smiled and looked up at us. "Thanks for saving me and my friend." I nodded. "I hope these items help you out in the future." He floated away as the Aron walked up to us. She nodded at us.

"Thank you for saving me." She said. "I'll be sure to tell my friends about how you saved me." She smiled and walked away.

"This makes the job worthwhile." Alex said. I looked at the bag and opened it. Inside were three purple seeds with a yellow glow around them and a small pair of black sunglasses. I pulled out the glasses and put them on. "That's a good look for you." I smiled and pulled out the seeds.

"Oh, cool." Liz exclaimed. "Joy seeds. Those make you stronger when you eat them." I handed one to Liz and one to Alex. "They're supposed to taste heavenly." She licked the side and put it in her mouth and squealed. "It's delicious." I looked at my own as Alex ate her own with a big smile.

"These are good." She said happily.

"That's why they call them Joy seeds I guess." I said. I sniffed it and smiled. I put it in my mouth and it felt like it was almost dissolving. I felt a big smile on my face. A strong release of endorphins made me think of the seed as some type of treat to be taken rarely. I swallowed it as it completely dissolved. "Nice for a treat." I felt a rush of energy followed by a sudden calm feeling. "But I think I'll do things naturally from now on." The girls gave me a strange look.

"Why?" Alex asked. "The more of these we take, the stronger we get." I shook my head.

"Call me old fashioned if you want, but I like to do things the hard way." I said. "I don't think one every now and again could hurt, especially when I need the extra strength, but I don't want to get hooked on these." Liz nodded. "Well, we'd better report in."  
…

I sat on my bed. The girls were talking to the Guild master about something. I was told I wouldn't have to worry about anything and that they were just being asked some questions. I moved my head onto my pile of coals and placed my pipe in my mouth. It was still a while until I would have to go to sleep, but I had nothing else to do in the meantime. I let out a puff of smoke from the pipe and it made a ring in front of me. I sat up and looked at a window. I stood up and jumped up to sit in the windowsill. I looked out to see a beautiful ocean view. I let my left leg hang out the window as I leaned back against the wall of the pane.

'Such a nice view.' I thought. 'But how did I get turned into a Pokémon? How did I get here?' I looked out to the sea and zoomed in on a Lapras swimming out to sea. I smiled at how peaceful it looked. 'I wonder if this has happened to anyone else.' I looked at the door and then back out to the view. I hadn't had any friends in my old life after my transfer from my old body into the mechanical shell. 'I have no reason to go back. But if I did, would I want to?' I heard the door open and I looked over to see the girls looking sad. "What's wrong?"

"We've got a problem." Alex said as she shut the door. I could feel a great deal of anger from her. "They're putting us on probation. We aren't allowed to leave the guild." I pulled my leg in and looked down at them.

"Apparently we were supposed to tell them about the Joy seeds before we ate them." Liz said. "We were supposed to get permission to eat them. Chatot scolded us, but he told us that it was okay in your case for some stupid reason." I slid down and looked over to her. "He said that since you aren't from around here you couldn't have known. You can still go outside." I shook my head.

"I'll stay in here." I said. "If one of us gets punished, I'll share it." They looked at me for a moment. "No point in me going out without you two with me." They smiled. I sat on my coals and made another pillow. "How long are we grounded?" They giggled and sat on their own beds.

"One week." Liz said. "The only thing we can do is wander around the guild halls." I set my head on the pillow and looked up at the ceiling. "Other than that, we may as well just stay in here."

"Well, at least we still have each other to talk to." I said. "That should help pass the time." Liz giggled.


	3. A story, a revelation, a problem

**Okay, this is the third chapter of my Pokémon Mystery Dungeon fic. So far, it's not anywhere near as popular as 'The Man with the Gallade's Arm', but I never figured it would be. I'm not worried that it's not as big, but I think it might just be a sleeper hit. Or maybe a flop, I'm not really sure. But hey, live and learn.**

**So, this chapter, really starts something. I guess if I don't start getting reviews though, I'm going to stop posting altogether on it and go to the Fallout 3 fic. That one's coming along better I think, and I actually like it better at this point, since I'm fairly certain it'll pick up a bit better than this currently is. Really, I might just let this die pretty soon. And I think I know why I'm having trouble with readers. I'll have to fix that summary. Clearly that's the problem. I mean, the way the story presents in the summary is what draws people in, and this makes me think that it's half of the problem. The other half, is that the plot is kind of lacking. That's the only other thing I could say is wrong. I mean, when I give it a moment of thought, I really see that it's kind of tough to believe that a human could have been made into an cyborg, and the fact that the main character's nicknamed after the main guy of DBZ might be a little odd. My thought is, Infernape was modeled slightly after the Monkey King, Sun Wukong, in Journey to the West. Goku, from DBZ was also based on Sun Wukong. So I figured I'd give that a shot. If anyone doesn't like this idea, let me know. If I don't get feedback, I let things die.**

**Now, another thing, this fic is dying right off the bat. I get a few readers a day, if that, and I feel like it's going down in a hurry. Do I need to get to a lifeboat, or will people that like it review? If you like it, review. If you don't like it, review. If I don't know what you like, I can't improve. I try to do my best to appeal to as many different tastes as I can, so if something isn't to your liking, I can still fix the chapters I haven't posted. If you tell me that something in chapter two isn't what you liked, then you've been a fool and now I can't fix it if it's something big. You let it drag on too long, and now you're out of luck. Sorry, but I can't fix the past, but I can fix the future.**

**Disclaimer: Nearly forgot it this time. Basically, it goes like this folks. I do not own any of the rights for Pokémon or Pokémon Mystery Dungeon. This fic is purely for entertainment purposes and I am not making any money off of this. So if you think I can influence the next season of the show, or give some cool stuff for the new games, then I'm sorry, you're looking at the wrong guy. So, to summarize: I, Lord Genesis Shadow, do in no way own the rights to Pokémon, Pokémon Mystery Dungeon, or any of the Pokémon subsidiaries in this, or any other universe. Got it? Good. I'm out of here.  
**…

I stared at the ceiling. Alex had gone for a walk in the halls since we didn't have to get up early. It was one advantage of being on probation. We could show up for morning cheers, but only if we felt like it. It was Wigglytuff that had decided this, as a way to annoy Chatot apparently. She felt that though we were pretty much confined to the guild we could still have some choice to ourselves.

"Goku?" Liz asked tiredly. "Are you awake?" I looked over to see her staring at the ceiling as well.

"Yeah." I replied. "What's up?" She looked over at me.

"Do you think it was right to put us on probation for what we did?" She asked. I shrugged.

"Well, I can see a good reason for it." I said. "Those seeds are kind of addictive." She nodded. "They wouldn't want everyone hooked on them trying to get stronger."

"I hope the others don't think badly of us." She said. "This kind of thing could be real bad for our reputation." I closed my eyes and puffed out another ring of smoke. "You're right though. I feel like I really want another one." I nodded.

"Me too." I said. "But we'd best just avoid them, or better yet destroy them if we find them." I heard her shudder.

"I don't know if I could do it though." She said. I nodded. "We'd have to do it quick so we wouldn't be tempted."

"If I find one, I'll burn it." I said. "I won't give it a second thought. I won't let you or Alex get into trouble again if I can help it." She turned her head to look at me. "I'll let Chatot know that it was my fault about the Joy seeds."

"It wasn't your fault though." Liz argued. I shook my head.

"No, I handed you the seeds." I said calmly. "I should have given my report and asked about them." Liz shook her head.

"There was no way any of us could have known about that rule." She said. I sighed, letting smoke escape my mouth. There was nothing in the pipe, but somehow I was inhaling smoke from it. "We all could have had better judgment." I nodded. I looked at the ceiling for a moment before exhaling more smoke. "Where did you come from?" She asked. I looked over at her.

"Why do you ask?" I replied. She shrugged. "Well, I'm not really sure how to answer." She looked at me strangely. "Would it be okay if I answered when Alex gets back?"

"Why wait?" She asked. I sighed, no smoke coming out this time.

"It's a bit of a tale, and I'm not sure you'll believe me." I said. "And there's a lot about me that I'm going to keep from you for a while."

"Is it about your parents?" She asked. I chuckled. "What?"

"I really don't know my parents." I said. "I'm an orphan. I never met my parents, and I never had foster parents. I've been a loner for as long as I can remember." I sighed again. "I've been through a lot, and I'm not sure if I'm through that part of the forest yet."

"What forest?" She asked. I looked at her for a moment before looking at the ceiling.

"The forest of life." I said profoundly. "We all go through it, and we all hit bushes of trouble and pain. I'm still looking for a clearing to catch my breath, but I can't see it just yet." Liz looked at me with a concerned look. "But don't worry about me. I'm fine with my life so far. After all, I've made two great friends at a critical moment in my life." She smiled at me. "A hard life without friends is made harder by that fact."

"I'm glad we met you Goku." She said. I nodded. She looked at the ceiling. "Do you believe in destiny?"

"That all things are predestined to happen?" I asked.

"Yeah." She replied. "I think we were destined to meet that day."

"Maybe." I said. "Destiny makes bonds between many lives, but I think sometimes something comes along and throws something else into the mix." She looked over at me as I turned to look at the ceiling. "Maybe we met by coincidence. Maybe you and Alex were destined to form a team, and I'm just here by chance."

"No, if it weren't for you, I wouldn't have had the nerve to do much of anything." She said quietly. "Maybe I was the one who was just there by chance." I chuckled.

"Liz, I think that you have the nerve." I said. "You just needed a chance to discover it." I looked at her to see her staring intently at me. "I was just the catalyst to show you." Several seconds passed in silence when the door opened, making her jump. Alex walked in and sat on her pillow.

"Hey guys." She said with a yawn. "What did I miss?" Liz giggled as I sat up and stretched.

"Not much." I said. "But I guess I've got something to tell you both." I stood up and stepped away from my bed. I turned to look at them both as I pulled the pipe out of my mouth. They were both staring at me intently. I sighed and looked up at the ceiling. "I'm not really a Chimchar." I looked down to see them giving me incredulous looks.

"What do you mean?" Liz asked. "You look like a Chimchar to me." Alex nodded.

"That's the problem." I said. "I only look like a Chimchar. I'm actually a human." They looked at each other for a moment before looking at me. "I know it's hard to believe but it's true." I thought about it for a moment. "Well, it was true. Now, I guess I am a Chimchar. But I used to be a human."

"How is that possible?" Alex asked. I shrugged. "How could you have been a human? What can change a human into a Pokémon like this?" I shook my head.

"I don't know." I said. "When you found me, I was injured. I'm not sure what happened, but it doesn't matter now." I put the pipe in my mouth. "I remember my old life, but it has no meaning anymore. I had no friends, no family, and nothing dear to me."

"Nothing at all?" Liz asked. I nodded.

"I was pretty much a lost soul back where I'm from." I said. "I had no meaning to live. But here I can do something for the good of others. I can help ease the burdens of others." I let out a puff of smoke. "I hope you can forgive me for not telling you about this earlier." They looked at each other and looked as though they were having a psychic conversation. I sat down and closed my eyes. "Before you come to a decision." I could feel them looking at me. "I've more to tell." I sighed. "I don't know why, but I figure I might as well get this off of my chest." I opened my eyes and took the pipe out of my mouth. "I'm also not really a human anymore." I looked at the ceiling. "I was also an Cyborg."

"What's that?" Liz asked. I looked at the ground for a moment.

"A machine." I said. "An artificial life form. I was in an accident and had to have most of my body replaced with metal parts." I looked up at them and then at my lap. "I had friends before that, but after becoming half machine they stopped being my friends. I became stronger, faster, I could see things nobody else could see, hear things nobody else could hear." I looked at them. "I was able to think faster, and I could come up with answers I never would have thought of before. I'm damaged, I'm fragile, and I'm sorry for not telling you earlier."

"Is that why we beat that Hariyama and that Vileplume?" Alex asked. I shrugged.

"Kind of." I replied. "I was able to react faster, and they were a lot stronger than we were. If I were all natural, I guess we would still have had a chance, but then we would have all been hurt as well." They turned back to each other and looked like they were having another mental conversation, occasionally looking over at me. 'Will they still let me be their friend?' I looked at my lap and then at my pipe. I put it in my mouth and inhaled.

*Substance: Smoke*  
*Non-harmful, no chemicals detected*  
*Smoke is empty substance*  
(Just like I've always been)

"Jack?" Liz asked. I looked up to see them looking at me. "Why didn't you tell us this before?"

"I was worried that you wouldn't like me if you knew." I said. I looked away. "I haven't had anyone care about me for a while. I guess I thought that you wouldn't be my friends if you knew." I felt something grabbing my face. The force turned my head to look at the girls.

"You're our friend Jack." Alex said. The sensation let me go and I looked at her for a moment. "What you were doesn't make a difference."

"I'm still an Cyborg." I said quietly. "On the outside you can't see it, but on the inside I'm still full of metal and wires." They shook their heads.

"That doesn't matter." Liz said. "You're still our friend. Whatever you used to be or whatever you are doesn't change that." I smiled.

"Yeah, and we're all in this together." Alex said. "No matter what happens we'll always have each other." I nodded. She yawned and closed her eyes. "We'd better go to sleep. It isn't good to stay up all night." Liz nodded and lay back down on her bed. I stood up and went over to my own bed. I put the pipe away and settled into a resting position. I pulled up some more coals around myself and closed my eyes.

"Thanks." I said quietly. "Thank you both for everything."  
...

I woke up, sat up, and stretched. I opened my eyes and reached for my pipe. I pulled it out and placed it in my lips. I let out a puff of smoke with a sigh. I looked around and saw that the girls had already gotten up. I looked at the window and figured that it was some time past the morning cheer. I stood up and stretched. I looked to see their packs still beside their beds. I walked to the door and heard a trio of muffled voices.

*Audio enhancement: 35%*

"We should make sure that he isn't hurt." Chatot said. "If he thinks he's a machine that was once a human, he may be crazy."

"But Chatot, he wouldn't say something if he wasn't telling the truth." Wigglytuff said. "He doesn't look like the type who'd lie like that."

"I'm concerned that Hariyama may have used something to make him think that." Chatot argued. "He may be under the influence of something." I sighed. I grabbed my Rescue kit and slung it over my shoulder.

"I'm just worried about him." Alex said. "Please, I just want to know that he's okay." I went over to the window and jumped up to it. I sat against the edge and let out another puff of white smoke.

"I should have known better." I muttered. "There's no way to prove my story, so I'll probably be labeled insane, get kicked out of the guild." I looked out the window. 'If I am, I'll just leave and never come back.' The door opened and I looked over to see them all walking in.

"Jack, we have something to discuss with you." Chatot said. I nodded.

"About my having been a human before this." I said. He nodded. "It's true, all of it. I used to be a human, I was in an accident, and I was made half machine. If you don't believe me, I'll just have to go elsewhere." Chatot looked dumbfounded. "I can survive this fall quite easily." I stood up and looked out the window. There were a number of branches I could grab to slow my descent and there were trees at the base of the mountain the guild was built into that I could land in. There was even a lake within my jumping reach to break my fall. I looked to see them all staring at me. Alex looked ashamed, Wigglytuff looked worried, and Chatot looked confused.

"Can you prove your stories?" Chatot asked. I shook my head.

"I have no evidence except my word." I said. "And that should be enough. I know my own life, and I know I was human before I became a Chimchar." Chatot looked at Wigglytuff.

"I'm not sure what to say Jack." He said. "It's impossible to check out your story you know." I nodded. "Then we're just to take your word for this?" I nodded again.

"If you don't and decide I'm insane." I started. I turned my back to them and looked over my right shoulder. "Or if you think I don't belong in the guild, I'll jump and you'll never see me again unless I want you to." They all stared as Liz walked into the room.

"Jack, you can't just expect us believe such an outrageous story like this so easily." Chatot argued. "There is a Pokémon we can call. He can see into the future or the past. He can even see into your old life. We can have him prove or disprove your story." I smiled.

"Liz." I said. She looked at me. "Would you trust them with this?" She looked around. "Would you? If you don't trust them, you'll find me somewhere familiar to us both." She looked nervous.

"No." She said. Everyone looked at her. I smiled as they all looked at me.

"All right then." I said. "You know where you can find me Liz." I looked down and grimaced. I looked back at Chatot. "Call your specialist. Tell Liz who it is. I'll go see him and maybe I'll come back." I looked back down the cliff. "Sayonara!" I jumped out as Chatot began flapping his wings. I flew past the first branch, missing it by inches. "Oh crap!" I grabbed the second branch, which promptly snapped in half. It slowed me down enough to catch the next three in sequence. I flew past the leaves of the first tree branch, but I managed to catch the second one. I felt the branch bending so I let it go and grabbed the one below it. It bent but did not break. "Thank you oh merciful tree." I pulled myself up and walked over to the trunk. Thankfully my coral pipe was still in my mouth. I let out a puff and did a diagnostic.

*System status: Nominal*  
*Physical status: No damage detected*  
*New attack learned: Fury swipes*

I looked down and slid quickly to the ground. Chatot could fly and he would probably be here soon to see if I had survived. I ran at a careful speed, dodging trees and making sure that I couldn't see Chatot.

"Jack Goku!" Chatot yelled. I looked up and zoomed in to see him coming down with Wigglytuff puffed up and floating down behind him. "There must be a better way to do this! We can talk this out!" I ran away faster, ducking under bushes and jumping over low branches. I looked behind me to see them landing by the tree I had landed in. I clambered up a tree and began going from branch to branch in another direction. I would double back and they would lose me for sure.  
…

I looked out at the lake behind the building. I had come over under cover of night and I hid where I couldn't be seen. I was now hoping that Liz would remember the clinic where we had first introduced ourselves. I figured about a week of a wait would do me some good to concentrate. We had only known each other for a few days, but I felt a strong bond with her. Alex however seemed more distant. She was worried, but I always wondered if she had trusted me from the start.

I looked over the roof to see a number from Pokémon heading my way. Among them were Chatot and Loudred. I zoomed in on them to see that Alex was pointing to the clinic. I jumped down the back and ran a long way into the forest nearby.

'Better safe than sorry.' I thought. I looked to see Chatot checking the roof. 'Great minds think alike.' I looked around and decided that I was too exposed. I climbed up a tree and looked out through a small gap. Chatot was looking around, but thankfully I hadn't left any footprints.

"Well, he hasn't been up here." Chatot muttered. Alex looked out near where I was. She seemed very worried. I held no doubt that she was sorry, but I was having a hard time feeling sorry for her. Chatot landed beside her and placed his right wing on her back. "It's okay Alex. You were worried that he might be sick, or worse. You did what you thought was right. It's not your fault." She pushed his wing away. "I know you're concerned, but he could be dangerous." She turned away and held her arms to her chest.

"I still feel bad for not trusting him." She said. "I feel horrible. I've betrayed a friend and I don't even really know why." I felt a tear forming in my right eye but I shook my head. "You won't hurt him will you?" Chatot shook his head.

"No, we will bring him in with sleep powder and hypnosis if he resists." He said. "We just want to be sure he's telling the truth. There is a legend that a human that would be transformed into a Pokémon who would save our world from destruction. So far, everything points to this legend being true. If Jack is indeed this human, then we must help him any way we can." I wanted to hear more, but I saw that he was hopping away. I could just barely hear him as he was. "You must go with Liz when she goes to meet him. You don't have to report to us, but we will give you some items to help you get to Xatu. If he is who we believe he is, then we must help him however we can."

'Maybe I should go back.' I thought. 'It would be a lot easier on the others.' I watched as they walked away.

"I'll tell Liz that we should come by tomorrow." Alex said. She looked right where I sat. "I want to get this over with so we can get our friend back." I wanted to smile but I saw tears forming in her eyes. "I want to apologize to Jack. I just feel so bad about betraying his trust." She shuddered as Chatot looked at her. "I feel so dirty and wrong about this whole thing."  
…

I sat on top of the clinic staring at the stars. They were different than the ones I remembered, but they were beautiful nevertheless. I looked down and saw two figures headed toward the clinic. I zoomed in to see Liz and Alex arguing. They were out of my audio range for another minute and the darkness kept me from reading their lips. I leaned back and looked up at the sky.

'When you lose trust in those around you, you may as well have leave of them.' I thought. 'If distrust leads to someone getting hurt, you may as well have been the one to inflict the injury.' These words had been spoken to me by a friend who had left me because of my mechanical parts. 'And to not trust a friend, is to say that you were never a true friend.' I looked down to see them just within range of my audio enhancement sensors.

"I said I'm sorry Liz." Alex said tearfully. "I feel horrible about this, I really do. I just felt like he might have been dreaming what he told us." Liz stopped and turned around.

"Then why didn't you say that to his face?" She asked. "Why didn't you ask him? Didn't you think he'd tell us the truth?" I shook my head and slid down to the ground. "He saved our lives twice Alex. We should have at least trusted him not to lie about his past." She turned and looked at me. "We'll talk about this later." Alex lowered her head as I began walking toward them. "Goku, are you okay?" She looked me over as I approached. I nodded.

"I'm fine." I said. "That fall wasn't too bad." I chuckled. "I missed the first branch, but I'm okay. What about you two?" They looked at each other for a moment but Liz looked away, making Alex look at the ground again. "I heard you arguing." They both looked at me so I gestured to my left ear with my left hand. "It's one of the perks of being Cyborg. I can hear things a good distance away." Liz nodded as Alex looked away. "And Alex." She turned her eyes to look at me. "Apology accepted." She looked at me with a quizzical look. "I know it must have been difficult telling Chatot about me. I don't know why you told him, and I don't really care." She sniffed as Liz looked at her. "I'm used to having people not trust me, but I still trust you." I held out my right hand to her.

"So, we're okay?" She asked. I nodded. She smiled and took my hand. I looked at Liz.

"Don't be so hard on her Liz." I said. "She was just worried about me." Liz looked at the ground. "If you can't trust your friends, then who can you trust?" She nodded and looked at Alex.

"I'm sorry Alex." She said. "I just didn't think that you'd tell the others without Goku telling you that it was okay." They exchanged sad looks and I looked down at my hand.

"Um, Alex?" I asked. She looked at me. "No rush, but uh." I looked at my hand again. "Can I have my hand back?" She blushed and let go of my hand. "So, where is this Xatu fellow?" They looked at each other. I pointed at my ears again.

"He's on a mountain." Liz said. She pulled out a map and pointed at a nearby mountain range. "We just need to get to the top and he should be there waiting for us." I nodded. I looked at Alex.

"Any supplies from Chatot?" I asked. She looked at me for a moment. "Don't make me point at my ears again." She blushed and looked at her bag.

"A bunch of Oran berries, some Pecha berries, and five Reviver seeds." She said. "He said he wants you to be ready for anything in case you turn out to be…"

"A legendary hero." I finished. She nodded as Liz looked at me. "Every legend hides a few facts. I'll be asking Xatu about the legend. If I am this legend, then I'll be counting on the two of you to help me get that far." They looked surprised. "If I don't have you two helping me, I'm not going to last long." They both blushed. "I don't know a thing about this world, so without you two helping me, I'll be lost and helpless."


	4. A rematch, a truth, and a return

**Okay, here we go. Part of a Fourth of July triple posting Saturday special, so rejoice if you like this. If you don't, then why are you here? If you don't like it, feel free to flame. If you like it or if you hate it, let me know. I'm one rare demon to be sure. I'm open to criticism, and I respond well to it. I take it into consideration and really think about it. But the thing is, if you have something to say and you don't say it, you're wasting time thinking about it.**

**Now, onto some news I'm fairly sure you might not want to hear from me, and I apologize in advance, but I'm still a bit behind on Gallade's Arm. It's going well, and I've got some ideas working along, but it may yet take a while. I'm doing a lot of things, and I'm getting a bit of an idea overload lately. So many ideas coming to me that I have to start new fics every few days, and that's taking time out of my working for Gallade's Arm. I promise that I'm doing everything I can to think about Gallade's arm, but it's difficult to focus when a dozen different ideas floating around. If I can't get them put down soon enough, I can't properly focus on the task at hand. So, Gallade's arm is a bit stopped at the moment, but I'm working toward it. I'd say that I'll have it starting again soon, though I don't have an exact month set.**

**Disclaimer: I, Lord Genesis Shadow, do hereby state, that I do not own the rights to Pokémon Mystery Dungeon, nor do I own the rights to Pokémon in general. I am not posting this for profit, but as a way to test my writing skill and to entertain those that read this sort of thing.**  
…

I stretched and looked at the view. We were nearing the top of the mountain that Xatu was on. We had grown a lot stronger on our climb, which had taken two entire weeks of effort. I put the pipe in my mouth and let out a puff of white smoke. I turned to see Liz and Alex walking up a gentle slope.

"You two okay?" I asked. I hopped off of the rock I was standing on. They nodded and sat down. I looked and saw the sun slowly setting. "I think this is a good enough spot to make camp for the night." They nodded and I walked over to a nearby bush. I looked it over.

"Will they do for a fire?" Liz asked. I nodded.

"This should do for kindling." I said. "And the sticks from earlier should work for a nice warm fire." Liz giggled.

"And your bed." She said. Alex rolled her eyes. They had patched up quickly, and we had gotten closer from our battles along the way. "What should we do for dinner?" I looked in my pack and pulled out three Big Apples. "Where'd you get those?" I ran my right thumb under my nose smugly.

"When we got separated earlier I found these in a small alcove." I said. The girls giggled as I started breaking the bush apart. "Oh yeah, this bush is going to work nicely." I looked over to see the girls enjoying the view. I looked back and pulled the last of the branches away. I pulled a dozen rocks from my bag and arranged them into a circle. The rocks were chipped off of various Geodude and I was tossing them at far away enemies. "There we go." I pulled about thirty sticks out of the bag and put them in a pile, followed by the bush. I felt the fire in my stomach grow and I exhaled an Ember into the pile. It quickly lit and the girls walked over. I grabbed two of the apples and handed them to them. I grabbed my own apple and set it near the fire to warm it up. "So, tomorrow we should reach the summit." I looked at the sunset and smiled.

"I hope so." Liz said. "I can't wait to find out what's going on." I nodded and looked at my apple. It wouldn't take long to warm it up. "So, what do we do to pass the time now?" I looked at her as she took a bite of her apple.

"Maybe we should just talk." Alex suggested.

"What do we talk about?" I asked. I sat down and puffed out more smoke. I looked at the cloud and then at my apple and shrugged. I inhaled and let a large cloud out at it.

"How about why you're blowing smoke on your apple?" Liz asked. I looked up at her and shrugged.

"I'm using the smoke to add a little bit of flavor." I said. I let out another large cloud over the apple. "And I think I can use this technique to make a smokescreen." Alex giggled.

"Leave it to you to find an attack in making dinner." She said. I smiled and picked up the apple and turned it. One side was warm and one had extra flavor. I let another cloud and looked at the sunset again. "So, anything you mind telling us about yourself?" I looked to see them both looking at me. I shrugged.

"Not much to tell."I said. "I led a pretty boring life. My friends and I didn't get into any human shenanigans and the most exciting moment in my life was the accident. And that isn't exactly front page news." They smiled and I sighed. "Okay, the accident." I looked at the apple and fired another cloud at it and picked it up. It was warm enough for me at that point. I took a bite and started chewing. I swallowed and sighed. "I was talking to one of my friends. Let's call him Joe, just for the sake of argument. Joe and I were helping some people with a building. We were just asked to carry up a bucket of nails, so we figured it would be a good way to make some money." I looked at my right hand. "We get up six floors and I hand the guy the bucket and he pats me on the back and offers to let us help to make some more money. Joe wants to do it and I didn't have any plans so we said sure." I bit the apple again. "Turns out some idiot was clearing out a cement mixer with an explosive."

"What's a cement mixer?" Liz asked.

"You take a bunch of rocks and grind them into powder." I explained. "Then you put this powder into a barrel that rotates and add some water. Cover the opening and let it rotate for a few hours and you get cement. Cement is like rock you can shape. It's thick, like mud, and when you pour it you can mold it to whatever shape you want." They seemed enthralled. "This is where the problem starts. If you forget about the cement in the mixer and you turn it off at night, the cement hardens and the mixer is useless." I chuckled. "Some guy thinks it a good idea to load something a hundred times stronger than a blast seed to remove the cement." Liz gasped. "This is in a closed space, so the energy has nowhere to go. He detonates this thing and I get flung off clear off of the building." I sighed. "I fell sixty or so feet to the ground onto a bed of nails." The girls winced. "Luckily there were some people there who took me to a hospital nearby; a hospital is a bigger version of a clinic. I was out for a month." I looked at my right hand and took another bite of the apple. "I wake up to find that I was part of a government experiment." I looked at the girls. "A government is a bunch of people that run a country." They nodded. "But they also run a larger group of people to defend that country. They wanted to see if someone could survive the surgery of being made into a machine." I sighed. "I did. The next thing I know, I'm lying on the ground in a forest I've never seen before and you two are picking me up to take me to the clinic." They nodded as I took another bite of the apple. "My friends had left me earlier, I guess because only Joe knew I was alive."

"Wow." Liz said quietly. "That's terrible." Alex nodded.

"So, that's the story of both how I became part machine and how I came to be here." I said. I took a big bite of the apple. "It's also the most interesting thing of my life as a human."

"What caused the explosion?" Liz asked.

"A little thing called dynamite." I said. "It's a red cylindrical stick with a piece of wire coming out of one end. That's called the fuse. You light the fuse, then after that burns into the stick it explodes more than a hundred times stronger than a single blast seed." I looked toward the sunset. "It's also extremely loud." I looked at the girls. "I think it's time to pass the old baton here. What about you two? How did you meet?" They looked at each other and shrugged.

"We met when our parents went into town with us." Liz said. "We were set in a small room while our parents went shopping."

"We started talking and that was that." Alex continued. "We both wanted to be part of a Rescue Team one day, so we made a promise to make our own team one day." Liz nodded.

"This was about a year ago." She said. "When we found you, we had a feeling that if we could get your help we could finally make our dream come true." I smiled. "And we did it. It's all thanks to you." I nodded as I set the core of the apple in my mouth.

"I'm glad we're all friends." Alex said. "If we weren't we'd all be somewhere else." I swallowed the apple and looked at the sky. The stars were out.

"Yeah." I said. "I'm glad we're all friends too."  
…

I slowly opened my eyes, feeling something amiss. I sat up and looked around. The sun was barely rising, but something felt out of place.

"Goku?" Liz asked. "What's going on?" I looked over to see her stirring. I looked down to see the embers of the fire burning out beneath me. I looked to where Alex had fallen asleep to see that she wasn't there.

"Where's Alex?" I asked. I looked around for her but I couldn't see her. I looked at the ground and saw her footprints and those of several unknown Pokémon. Liz sat up and looked around. "Footprints." She looked at them. There were three separate sets of tracks.

*Footprints analyzed*

A small square zoomed on the ones that belonged to Alex.

*Set one: Abra: Alex*  
*Set two: Hariyama*  
*Set three: Vileplume*

"The Hariyama and Vileplume have been by." I said grimly. "They've kidnapped her." Liz gasped. "I'll try to teach them a lesson this time." I stood up and slung my kit over my shoulder. "Nobody messes with our friend." Liz nodded and put on her own kit. I looked down to see Alex's kit sitting on the ground. I picked it up and slung it over my opposite shoulder.

"Goku." Liz said quietly. She held up the glasses. They were smashed. "I hope she's okay." I nodded.

"She'll be fine when we get to her." I said.  
…

I jumped over some debris with Liz on my back. I ran with mechanically enhanced speed. I jumped over a large gap and followed the footprints. We had still been going up the mountain, so we were gaining ground, but we had passed a path leading higher. I slid to a halt upon seeing the targets ahead.

"There they are." I said. Liz slid off of my shoulders and kissed the ground. "Sorry about the bumpy ride." She nodded and stood up. She gasped when she saw Alex tied to a stake with Beedrill on either side with a stinger to her neck. "Bastards." She gasped at my language. "Sorry. I'm just calling them as I see them." She nodded and frowned. "We need a plan." I looked around the area. The place they were in was well defended. I looked up to see a bunch of loose rocks. They would fall and distract, but there was an eighty percent chance that Alex would be crushed by them. I looked at my pack and pulled out two rocks. I vectored the possible shots but I couldn't hit the Beedrill without putting Alex in danger.

"Come on out you cowards!" The Hariyama yelled. "I can smell your fear!" I put the rocks away and pulled out a blast seed.

"I'll pop this and swallow it when I get a clear shot." I said. "Try to hit the Beedrill I don't blast and send it into the wall." Liz nodded. "We're getting her out of here, and we're knocking these idiots out." I put the seed in my cheek. I knew that it couldn't be seen. "I'm not holding back." Liz nodded.

"Neither am I." She said. "I'll free Alex and we'll take the Hariyama. You can handle the Vileplume right?" I nodded.

"Smokescreen to her face, ember on her flower, fury swipes on her face." I explained. "I'm going to drop her like a bad habit."

We walked down the trail with our hands in the air. The Hariyama was laughing heartily while the Beedrill looked nervous.

*Hariyama strength: Level 27*  
*Beedrill combined strength: Level 22*  
*Vileplume strength: Level 30*

"You gave me a bad burn last time you dirty little Chimchar." The Vileplume muttered. "I'm going to enjoy letting Hariyama hurt you."

*Personal strength: Level 18*  
*Liz strength: Level 16*  
*Alex strength: Level 16*

"Why did you kidnap Alex?" Liz asked. "Why not Goku?" The Hariyama laughed.

"Because she was weaker." He said angrily. "I'm going to enjoy breaking you in."

"I've got news for you." I said. "I'm not about to let you hurt my friends." Vileplume walked over and picked me up and threw me over by Alex. One of the Beedrill buzzed down to me as Liz yelped. I looked over to see Vileplume slap her before tossing her near me. She looked up and then at Alex for a moment.

"Get up monkey." Hariyama said. He stepped by the Vileplume and crossed his arms. I stood up as Liz and Alex nodded.

"I think it's time for you to get your just deserts Chimchar." Vileplume said. I turned to the Beedrill.

"My name is Jack Goku." I said. "And this is a blast seed." The Beedrill looked at me as I swallowed the seed. Its multi segmented eyes went wide as I opened my mouth. I combined the blast with an ember and a large cloud of fire shot out of my mouth, sending the Beedrill several yards away. I pulled out the pipe and put it between my lips on the right side. The second Beedrill let out a pained buzz as it hit the wall several meters behind me. The bindings holding Alex snapped and she moved beside me as Liz stood up. I took off Alex's pack and handed it to her. "And we are Team Chaos!"

"You little brats think you can beat us?" The Vileplume asked threateningly. I smiled and inhaled deeply. "You're going to lose!" She had been charging a Solar beam the whole time, just like I had hoped. I exhaled while moving my head around, creating a large cloud of white smoke around us. I jumped to one side as the girls teleported behind the Hariyama. The expected beam smashed into the space I had occupied just seconds ago. "That should be enough." I leapt from the cloud as the Hariyama was lifted off of the ground. He was struggling as I landed inches from the Vileplume. I already had an ember ready as Vileplume shrieked in surprise. "How did you avoid my attack?" I jumped on top of her flower as yellow spores appeared in the hole in the middle. "You wouldn't dare!" I looked to the girls with a manic grin.

"She don't know me very well, do she?" I asked in a childish voice. I looked into the hole and let the flame blast into the spores. There was a powerful explosion that forced me to grab the top of the flower.

"You dare hurt my sister!" Hariyama yelled. I smiled as a bright spot appeared in the flower. Another Solar beam was charging. I jumped and slammed my feet down hard on one of the petals, making the Vileplume yell in pain. She lowered the flower and I looked to see that the hole was aimed at Hariyama. "NOOOO!" The beam fired and hit him in the chest. Part of the beam burned my shoulder, but it wasn't very bad.

"Brother!" The Vileplume screamed. She lifted the flower as I set my feet on the ground. She punched me in the stomach and slammed her flower on top of my back. I focused my mind and looked up at her as she drew back her right arm for another punch. I smiled and inhaled, making her eyes go wide. I exhaled both smoke and flames into her face, making her raise her flower and scream in pain. I heard a loud thud as Hariyama hit the ground several meters away from the girls. "You little brats!" I turned just in time to receive a punch in my face. I felt my feet leave the ground and her flower land on my stomach. I closed my eyes as I saw yellow spores falling from the flower. I exhaled small embers, but they weren't enough to cause enough of them to ignite. I felt my body going numb fast, which made me wonder if my mechanical parts could bypass the oncoming paralysis. I felt the weight lifting off of me and I saw the Vileplume thrashing in the air before being tossed aside onto the Hariyama.

I stood up shakily, and I could barely feel my body. I knelt and laughed as the Vileplumes' spores fell onto herself and Hariyama. The girls walked over to me as I stood up.

"That's just perfect." I said. They looked over to see the spores covering the two. "What goes around comes around." They laughed as I took a shaky step only to end up kneeling again. "Do we have anything for paralysis?" They looked into their bags. Alex pulled out a Cheri berry and handed it to Liz.

"This should take care of the stun spore." Liz said as she handed it to me.  
…

We walked up the summit and I saw him. Xatu, the wise bird Pokémon that could tell if I was the Pokémon of legend. As we walked up to him I saw two shapes heading toward us in the sky. I zoomed in and saw Chatot and Wigglytuff heading our way.

"We shall soon have company Team Chaos." Xatu said. I looked at him and did a double take. "I am not surprised that you have forgotten to retract your zoom Goku the cyborg Chimchar." I shook my head. I had seen into his eyes, right down to the depths of his pupils. It had really shaken me.

"You knew we were coming?" Liz asked. I shook my head again.

"Yes." Xatu said. "I see into the future so I know exactly when to expect visitors." He opened his wings in a stretching motion. "You handled that skirmish quite well. I see the possible outcomes, but in all of them you have been triumphant." I nodded. "I am glad you have made it to my summit Team Chaos."

"Is Jack really the human that became a Pokémon to save our world?" Alex asked. Xatu shook his head.

"He is a human, but he is not the legendary hero Pokémon." He said. "That honor is reserved for another. Jack is here for another purpose." He looked at me. "You are here to help that human become the hero. You will save her life at a critical moment, and she will be in awe of your bravery. There are two outcomes for this. One will save the world, and one will cause ruin."

"What are the choices?" I asked. Xatu looked intently at me.

"Whether or not to allow her to join your team." He said. "You must deny her request to join your team. If you do not let her join, she will harbor thoughts of anger toward you, but she will end up saving this world. She will form her own team, known as Team Order." I looked away. "She will openly say that she hates you, but you must bear this for her to save this world." I nodded.

"Looks like Team Chaos is going to be a small Rescue Team for a while." Alex said sadly. Xatu nodded as Chatot and Wigglytuff landed.

"Team Chaos, are you all okay?" Chatot asked. I backed away. "What is wrong?" I shook my head.

"Just being vigilant Chatot." I said. "I know you've got some sleep powder in that pouch." Chatot squawked. Xatu chuckled as Wigglytuff walked over to me and hugged me tightly.

"I'm so glad you're all okay." She said. There were tears in her eyes. "I've been so worried." I patted her back.

"We missed you too Guild master." I said in a strained voice. She set me down and looked over to the girls who smiled nervously.

"Such a sweet reunion between friends." Xatu said. "It makes me feel all warm and cozy inside." He turned to Chatot. "And Chatot, Jack was once human, but he is not the one that will save this world." Chatot looked at me.

"Then why is he here?" He asked. Xatu stretched his wings.

"He is here to help the true hero find her path." He said. "But do not worry, for Jack is pure of heart."  
…

I sat down on my bed at the guild happily. I smiled as I pulled the coals into a small pillow again.

"It's great being back here again." Liz said happily. I looked to see her setting her head on her pillow. "I've missed my bed."

"And I've missed my pillow." Alex added.

"And I my coals." I said fondly. They both giggled. "You two get comfortable bedding, I get coals that never go out. We all get cozy places to rest." I set my head on the makeshift pillow and pulled the coals around my body.

"Yeah, these beds are perfect for all three of us." Liz said. I placed my pipe in my pack and closed my eyes. "Good night."

"Good night Liz." Alex said. "Good night Goku."

"Good night girls." I said.  
…

I opened my eyes and looked around. Liz was awake and stretching while Alex was looking at her broken glasses. I stood up and stretched.

"I can't believe they broke my glasses." Alex said. I looked to see her looking at me. "These were my mothers." I thought for a second.

"Maybe we can find someone that can fix them." I said. She shrugged and put them on her pillow.

"Maybe." She said. I put my pack on as Loudred looked in.

"Why do I even come by this room in the morning anymore?" He asked. "Well, it's good to see you're back anyway. The morning cheer starts in ten minutes." We nodded as he shut the door.

"Well, we might as well get ready to go back to work." Liz said. I nodded as she put on her pack.  
…

"This morning we have a number of special announcements." Chatot said. "First, we welcome back Team Chaos from their expedition to see Xatu." The others all looked at us for a moment. "Jack is indeed a human, but he is not the one of legend." I blushed and rubbed the back of my head. "But that does not mean you should treat him any differently than you normally would." They all nodded and looked back at Chatot. "The next piece of news should excite you all. This guild is mounting a treasure hunting expedition next week." The others all cheered. "We have decided to go to a cave supposedly filled with thousands of precious gems and other treasures. We will all be going, but we will be going in designated groups. The Guild master and I have chosen to accompany Team Chaos." The girls and I nodded. "The rest of you will split into groups of five, until we are all in a group. Those who cannot fill out to five, you may ask Pokémon from town to join you if you promise to keep them safe." Chatot looked around. "That is all for this morning's announcements. Go about your business as usual, but we will not be doing any jobs for today. Enjoy this day off." Everyone moved around, choosing their groups. "Team Chaos." We turned to see Chatot hopping toward us. "I am sorry for the incident several weeks ago. You have to understand that I am under a lot of stress. Wigglytuff may be the master of this guild, but I am the one that takes care of most of the work." He looked over to Wigglytuff, who was dancing in a circle and singing quietly to herself. "She is a great fighter and she was a great explorer back in the day, and I was her faithful partner." He sighed. "But these days she takes care of only the most important part of the guild while I take care of keeping food in the stores and various other workings. I was worried that you may have been ill Jack. I was worried for your health."

"I know Chatot." I said. "I just thought it would be better to test myself." Chatot nodded. "If I just waited, I probably wouldn't have been able to help Liz and Alex get stronger." Chatot looked at the three of us.

"How much stronger did you get?" He asked.

"I've gained about a third of my old power more than before." I said. "Liz and Alex gained more than double their strength." They both blushed. "It's true. You're both twice as strong as before."


	5. An expedition, a cave, and evolution

**Hello everyone who has read this far. I'm posting this along with chapter four this week, and this is my first ever Triple Post Saturday. Don't get used to it, I won't do this often. I feel guilty about not posting last week, and I wanted two chapters, and I decided to post the one I didn't post last time in addition to that.**

**Disclaimer: I, Lord Genesis Shadow, do hereby state for the fifth time, that I do not own the rights to Pokémon, Pokémon Mystery Dungeon, or any Pokémon subsidiaries in this, or any other universe, in any way.  
**…

I looked at the ceiling in thought. We would be going on the expedition tomorrow. The week had passed faster than I had hoped. I had grown in strength by two levels worth of power. The girls had each grown by one level, meaning that we were slowly becoming more formidable with each mission.

We had taken care of the two so called siblings of Hariyama and Vileplume easily but something didn't sit right in my stomach. I had done some research to find out that a female Hariyama had raised the Vileplume from an Oddish. Apparently she had wanted to become a Bellossom when she could finally evolve from a Gloom. She had selected the exact wrong stone and evolved into the giant flower that she was now.

I looked over at Alex to see her sleeping peacefully. She was snoring lightly now, occasionally muttering 'Abra' quietly. I smiled and looked over at Liz. She looked very peaceful. She was facing me with a smile. Something about both of them calmed me down just by looking at them. I closed my eyes and shifted deeper into the coals. I opened my eyes one last time and looked at both of them. I smiled and closed my eyes.  
…

"Wake up Jack." Liz said. She nudged my shoulder and wrenched my right eye open to look up at her. She was smiling. "We've got a big day ahead of us." I yawned and sat up. Liz put her pack on and I heard Alex putting on her rescue pack. I grabbed my pipe and put it back in my mouth. "Alex's parents said they'd be bringing another pair of glasses for her." I nodded and put on my own pack.

"They should be getting here by now." Alex said. I stretched as a knock was heard at the door.

"Wakeup call." Loudred said. "Not that I need to give one to you three."

"Thanks Loudred." I called.

"Whatever." He called back.  
…

We walked out into the guild main hall to see Alex's parents looking around.

"Wow, this is a very nice place." Her father said. "Maybe we should have formed a Rescue Team, just so we could stay here." Her mother swatted his right shoulder playfully.

"Mother." Alex called. She floated off of the floor and levitated over to her parents. "Father. It's good to see you again." She hugged her parents while Liz and I walked over. I held the end of the pipe with my right hand as I walked.

"Alexis, how have you been doing dear?" Her father asked. "We've heard that you went up a mountain with your friends." Alex nodded.

"We went up to see Xatu about Jack." She said. "I wish I could tell you more, but we were sworn to keep it in the guild." Her parents smiled.

"That's okay dear." Her mother said. "We're just glad to know you're happy with your decision." Alex nodded. Her mother pulled out a pair of glasses. "Here are your spare glasses. I'll get the old ones fixed for you." She looked over at me and smiled kindly. "I'm glad to see you again Jack. I've been hearing that you're taking good care of our little girl." I nodded.

"I'm doing the best I can, but it's not just me." I said. "Alex is getting stronger every day, as is Liz. Pretty soon they won't need my help." They both blushed.

"That's good to know." Alex's father said. "I've always known that our little girl would grow up to be strong like her mother." I looked at the Guild masters door and heard talking within. I decided not to listen in. "We'd love to stay and talk, but we're expecting company at the house. It's been good seeing you again." He hugged Alex and bowed to me and Liz. They turned to walk away as the Guild Master's door opened.

"Ah, Team Chaos." Chatot said as he hopped out. Wigglytuff walked behind him with a big yawn. "Good to see you up so early. We're heading out early, so we can encourage the others to challenge themselves." I nodded and stretched. "Are you all ready to head out?" I looked to the girls who nodded.

"Whenever you are." I said. Chatot flapped his wings, making the Guild master look at him.

"Give the word, Guild Master, and we can get going." He said. Wigglytuff shook her head quickly.

"Let's get going!" She said happily.  
…

We looked at the entrance to the cave. We were the first to arrive and it seemed really deserted.

"This place looks spooky." Wigglytuff said in a mock ghostly voice. "I hope we don't run into any ghosts." Chatot shook his head and began hopping in.

"Let us make haste." He said. "We want to find the treasures we like before they're all gone." Wigglytuff nodded and began walking.

"Okay then." I said. "Let's get this expedition underway." The girls nodded and we followed the Guild master closely. We entered the cave and saw a lot of crystals on the ceiling. I looked ahead to see Chatot squaring off with a Wingull while Wigglytuff was jumping around an angry Machop. I looked to my right to see a Tangela and a Machop heading our way. "Let's join in the festivities shall we?" The girls fanned out behind me and grabbed some rocks from their bags. I felt a flame in my stomach as the Tangela gave me an angry look from under the vines of its body. A second Machop came from our left. I pointed with my left hand at it. "Liz, to the left." She nodded as I held my hands out to my sides. I walked in a circle as the girls squared off with their respective enemies.

*Enemy scan complete: Tangela*  
*Estimated strength level: 13*

"Let's dance shrub." I taunted. A vine shot out at me and I stepped aside and let an ember on it. The Tangela shrieked and reeled the vine back in. It looked at me and threw another vine out. I blocked it and heard it scream at me. The vine went around my arms and wrapped around me. "Bad idea buddy boy." I let the fire in my stomach go, but the flame stopped in my mouth. I felt the fire ripple around my teeth and I bit down on the vine. Flames shot from my mouth and the vine began pulling away. I let go as the vine retracted back to the mass.

*New attack learned: Fire Fang*

I smiled and felt the fire in my teeth again. I showed the Tangela my fangs and it threw another vine at me. I dodged and saw another heading at me. I ducked and let the flames out of my mouth on the first vine and bit the other. The Tangela shrieked again and reeled back both vines. One of the vines was still on fire and the whole mass lit on fire. It ran around and jumped into a pool of water. When it surfaced the two Machop landed on top of it. I looked over to see the girls standing back to back. I looked over to see Chatot hopping over to me while Wigglytuff tossed her Machop through a pillar of rock. She turned as Chatot hopped next to her.

"Well, that takes care of those riffraff." Chatot said casually. He stretched his wings. "Shall we continue?" The girls nodded as I pulled out my pipe. "Jack? Are you okay?" I nodded.

"Merely retrieving my pipe." I said. "I just learned Fire Fang in that fight with the Tangela." Chatot jumped up once.

"Well done Jack." He said. "That should be quite helpful should you encounter any powerful grass types." I nodded.

"Well, we should hurry." I said. "The others won't be happy that we got here early." Chatot nodded.  
…

We looked over a large trove of gems of various shapes and sizes. I looked them over and calculated their possible total value. In my world, they were worth millions, but here, they were priceless. They took on natural and unnatural shapes.

"Wow, this is amazing." Liz said. Chatot nodded with his eyes closed.

"Yes, these gems grow very fast." He said. "We mount expeditions from time to time to keep the crystals from becoming too numerous. Take what you will; there is no worry about what you get." He closed his eyes and hummed happily. "I'm going to look for a nice emerald for my collection. Maybe some opals and if I'm lucky, perhaps I can find a sapphire." He hopped around and looked at a number of green gems. "Just pull them out of the ground or walls. They aren't in that deep." He bit one of the emeralds and pulled for a second and the gem popped out.

"Wow, I never knew a place like this even existed." Alex said. She adjusted her glasses, which made her look smarter. Wigglytuff walked over and patted me on the back.

"This place is open to the public, so anyone can come in whenever they want." She said. She skipped beside me and began looking around. "I hope I can find some pink diamonds." The girls began looking around while I perused the area.

'This place is amazing.' I thought. 'Maybe I can find a crystal pipe.' I chuckled and looked among the rubies. One in particular caught my eye. I chuckled again as I picked it up. It was a ruby in the shape of a pipe. I looked it over and saw that it was even hollow. "A crystal pipe, you've got to be kidding me." I looked at my own pipe and put it in the bag. I looked at the crystal pipe and then at a small pool of water. I washed it off and looked at it. It was very beautiful. I looked it over and Chatot hopped up next to me.

"That's a nice pipe." He said. I looked up and nodded. "That's a Ruby Pipe. It's a stronger version of your coral pipe. It also allows you to smoke it without anything inside it." I nodded and put the pipe in my teeth. "This cavern is abundant with rare crystals like that one." He looked aside. "Perhaps you'll find some glasses to match that pipe." I chuckled and stood up. "Well, I've got some browsing to do. Keep an eye out for wild Pokémon." I nodded and looked around.

"Hey Goku, look at this." Liz called.  
…

I looked around our room. I smiled at my new pipe as I let out a puff of black smoke. I had two pipes now; one that issued black smoke and one that issued white smoke. I had also found sunglasses made of pure jet, some topaz knuckle dusters, and some sapphire crystals. I smiled as I looked them over. I put the sunglasses into the bag and let out one last puff of black smoke before returning the pipe to the bag. I had already placed the dusters in the bag, so I settled into my coals and looked at the ceiling.

Liz had found a pair of rings made of jet and ruby. One apparently increased the power of dark type moves and the other increased the power of psychic attacks. She now wore both happily. She had also found an emerald monocle. It didn't have any special perks, but it did look cool.

Alex found a pair of diamond glasses that focused her psychic powers just as much as her mother's glasses. She also found a very lovely bracelet made of emerald. It didn't do anything, but it fit her wrists perfectly. She even found a crystal spoon made of ruby. Along with the one the Guild master had given her, she could really focus on her mental training.

"Goku, are you awake?" Liz asked. I looked over to see her looking at me. "Today was fun." I nodded. "I think we should go back there again someday."

"Yeah, that would be fun." I said. "Finding amazing treasures, seeing beautiful crystal formations."

"Yeah." She said quietly. "That was the most fun I've had in a while." I looked up at the ceiling. "Do you think we'll evolve someday?" I shrugged.

"By all accounts, my records show that we should have evolved about a week or two ago." I said. "But there's something different about this world than my own." Liz nodded.

"There's some place that lets Pokémon evolve if certain conditions are met." She said. "Maybe we can ask Chatot tomorrow if we can go and see if we can evolve." I nodded. "Assuming that it's okay with you." I chuckled.

"I wouldn't mind trading this body in for a Monferno." I said. Liz giggled.

"I'd sure like to become a Kirlia." She said.

"And I'd like to become a Kadabra." Alex chimed in. "But for now, let's get some sleep." I nodded. "Good night guys." Liz giggled again.

"Good night Alex." She said. She looked over at me. "Good night Goku."

"Good night Liz." I said. I looked at Alex. "Good night Alex." I heard Liz yawn. I looked at the ceiling and thought about the possibility of being a Monferno. I'd have longer arms and a long tail with a flame at the tip. I'd have blue and gold markings. I'd be half fighting and half fire, so I'd be able to use stronger moves. I'd also be a lot faster and a lot more agile. 'Being that strong should be a serious step up from what I am now. Should I really take the next step on this?' I closed my eyes and brought up the image of a Monferno. I added my pipe and scarf, as well as my silver headband. I tossed in the topaz dusters and the jet glasses. I smiled at the image and put it in a protected file and felt myself falling asleep.  
…

I rolled onto my right side and opened my left eye. Liz was still asleep with her back to me. I closed my eye and rolled onto my back. I sat up and pulled up an image of a Kirlia and changed the green parts for her shade of blue. I added the blue headband and her rings, along with her hat. I thought for a second and pulled up a second picture of a Kadabra and added her green headband and the glasses. I added her ruby spoon and her metal spoon in her opposite hand. They both looked stronger than any Kirlia and Kadabra in my old world. I put the pictures into the file of my own picture and opened my eyes.

I stood up stretched. I grabbed my pack and put it on quietly and jumped up to the windowsill and sat down. I looked out and saw movement. I zoomed in to see the Hariyama and Vileplume digging a hole near the entrance to the forest. I shook my head and chuckled.

'An exercise in futility.' I thought. 'They'll probably end up falling in themselves later.' I looked around and saw the Keckleon brothers setting up their shop while the rest of the town went about their morning business. 'And there we have a bunch of hard working Pokémon making their living the best way they know how.' I smiled and looked at the girls. 'And my best friends waiting to grow into their next forms.' I looked at the door and saw Loudred's shadow. He knocked on the door and continued walking.

"Ten minutes to the morning cheers." He said. I smiled as the girls stirred.

"Goku?" Alex asked.

"On the window ledge." I said. She looked over at me. "And this time I don't plan on jumping." She smiled as she dropped off of her pillow.

"I guess we'd better get ready to start the day." Liz said from her bed. She sat up and stretched as I hopped down. I landed with practiced ease and stretched as well. They put on their packs and looked over at me. "Do you think Chatot would mind us evolving?" I shrugged.

"I'm sure Wigglytuff would be okay with it." Alex said. She put on her glasses and I pulled out my scarf and headband. I put them on and followed them with my new sunglasses and my coral pipe. "It should be fun evolving." I shrugged again.

"If we're really ready for it." I said. They both looked at me. "I'm just wondering if I'm ready to evolve into a Monferno, or if I'm even able."

"Because you're a cyborg?" Liz asked. I nodded. "I'm sure you can. If you went from a human to a Chimchar it shouldn't be such a stretch from a Chimchar to a Monferno." I smiled.

"Sounds right to me." Alex said. I nodded.

"Let's get to the morning cheer then." I said.  
…

"And that concludes this morning's announcements." Chatot said. "So let's make today a good one." Everyone cheered and left to find work for the day. We stayed behind and walked up to Chatot. "Team Chaos, is there something on your minds?" We nodded.

"We were wondering if you could tell us where the evolution cave is." Alex asked. Chatot tilted his head.

"You wish to evolve?" He asked. We nodded. "Well, I don't see any problems with that, but I don't know where the stone is." He looked at Wigglytuff, who was fast asleep with her eyes open. "I shall ask the Guild master. She had to go to the stone with a moon stone, so she knows where it is." He turned to Wigglytuff and waved his right wing in her face. "Guild master." He patted her head softly and she backed away. "We have some news."

"Team Chaos wants to evolve right?" She asked. Chatot backed away rapidly with both wings out. She walked into her room while Chatot shook his head.

"So full of energy." I commented. Chatot cleared his throat.

"Yes, she is." He said. Wigglytuff came out with a map. She looked at it and handed it to me. She pointed to a forest nearby, a good distance from where the siblings were digging.

"Head to the deepest part of this forest and you'll find a rock with a hole in front of it." She said. "Go in one at a time and you will be asked if you want to evolve. Just answer how you want and if you can evolve you will." She giggled and danced for a moment. "Evolution is so fun! Yooom-tah!" I looked at the map and nodded. "Keep that map if you want. It might be helpful later." She walked back into her room as Chatot nodded.

"Well, hurry back and you may find time to take your first job in your new forms." He said. He hopped away as I folded the map.

"Well, that was informative." I said.  
…

We walked through the forest without a single encounter. It was actually just a short way from the forest that I had landed in several weeks ago. We came upon the rock and looked it over.

"Well, there's the hole." Alex said. "Who should go first?" They both looked at me.

"Do I have a choice?" I asked. They giggled and I sighed. "Okay then. I guess I'll head in." I stepped forward and looked down the hole. I walked in and it became very dark. I stepped into an open area with a light in the center. I stepped into the light and the entire room was visible.

"Do you seek evolution?" A quiet female voice asked. I looked around. "If ye seek evolution, state your answer now." I steeled my nerves and inhaled.

"Yes." I answered. "I seek evolution." I felt an unknown energy flowing around me for a moment.

"You are not a true Pokémon." The voice said. "If ye evolve, ye may lose the ability to return to your human world." I smiled. "Do you wish to continue?" I nodded.

"I wish to continue." I said. I felt my feet leave the floor for a moment. I looked down to see a white light engulf my body. For a moment I only saw the white light. I felt my feet touch the ground after a moment.

*System reconfiguration complete*  
*Form changed to Monferno*  
*New attack learned: Mach Punch*

I looked at my hands to see that they had grown longer, as had my arms. I smiled and grabbed my coral pipe and placed it in my new teeth.

"Thank ye kindly." I said to the voice. I turned around and walked over to the stair. I looked up and saw the girls looking down through the hole. I walked up and they gasped. "Hello girls." They blushed.

"We were beginning to worry about you." Alex said. I smiled.

"It's not that bad." I said. "It's kind of refreshing actually." I stretched my new arms and my newly grown tail. "Who's next?" I smiled as Liz stepped forward. I stepped aside and gestured to the hole.  
…

We walked into the guild to see the posted jobs. Loudred walked up to us and looked us over.

"Who are you three?" He asked. I chuckled.

"We're the improved Team Chaos Loudred." I said. He stepped back.

"You've evolved?" He asked. We nodded. "Wow, to think that you were already strong enough." He smiled. "And to think I was here to be the first to greet you in your new forms." He pointed to the boards. "Now you'd better get to work. You don't have all day." I nodded and walked over to the outlaw board while Liz and Alex looked over the help board.

"Where should we look Jack?" Liz called. I looked over the board and saw one for a nearby cavern. It was a particularly mean spirited Onix causing havoc for innocent Diglett and Dugtrio. I looked to the name of the cavern.

"Digger Caverns." I called. "I've got two outlaws there." I picked off the two flyers. The first was the Onix and the second was a bandit Hypno that had stolen a number of rare items from travelling Pokémon.

"We've got three jobs over here." Alex called. "Two missing Pokémon and one hurt Golem that got in too deep." I folded the wanted posters and put them in my bag. The girls walked over and handed me the three pages.

"One Abra, stuck hiding from a number of Poochyena." I read. "One Charmander who doesn't know where she is." I looked at the Golem one. "And the Golem somehow got into a fight with a Hitmonlee and lost deeper in." I smiled. "Five missions in one day. This might be our biggest day yet." They both nodded. "Let's get this party started." I put on my sunglasses and walked out the door with the girls behind me.


	6. New bodies, new power, and anger

**Okay, I don't do this often, but I figured it'd be a nice little treat once in a while. I just want to say though that I'll only post twice on a Saturday if I feel like it. So poke-lover, this is for you. I wasn't planning on updating this anytime soon though, because hardly anyone is reading it lately. But, since you were nice enough to ask me to continue this, I will. So, without further ado, the part we all knew was coming.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the rights to Pokémon or Pokémon Mystery Dungeon. There, I said it again. I keep saying it and I'll keep saying it as many times as it takes to keep from being sued.  
…**

We walked through the caverns and immediately spotted the outlaw Hypno looking over a pile of treasure he no doubt stolen from innocent Pokémon.

"Outlaw number one, Hypno the Knockout." I said. He turned to look at me. His nose almost made me laugh.

"Who are you?" He asked.

"We're Team Chaos." Liz said.

"And we're here to bring you in." Alex added.

"So make this easy on yourself and just surrender." I said. "We've got four other jobs, and we want to get this done soon." Hypno growled and pulled out his hypnotic coin. I sighed and decided to test my new attack. The girls fanned out as other wild Pokémon came out. "I'll handle Hypno."

"We'll take care of the others Goku." Liz said. Hypno dropped the coin.

"You're really Team Chaos?" He asked. I nodded and gave an evil grin.

"And you're a wanted outlaw." I replied. I ran forward as the girls' teleported and attacked the wild Pokémon, a trio of Makuhita and a single Gloom. Hypno's eyes went wide as I closed the distance between us with Mach Punch. I hit him twenty times in the chest, followed by a focused Smokescreen in his face. His right hand came up and hit me in the chest, but it didn't hurt. I launched another Mach punch, hitting him directly in the chest another twenty times. He fell to the ground and grabbed at his coin and fell on his face.

"Can I, at least keep…" He groaned. I nodded and grabbed the coin and put it in his right hand. He tucked it under him and I rolled him over. He put the coin in his neck fur and closed his eyes. I pulled out a pair of cuffs and placed them on his wrists. He disappeared as the girls walked up to my sides. I stood up and brushed myself off.

"One down." I said.

"Are you okay?" Liz asked. "I saw him hit you in the chest." I nodded.

"I'm fine." I said. "That kind of attack would have hurt me as a Chimchar, but I'm a lot stronger now." They nodded as I looked down the tunnel. "We should hurry. Who knows what that Onix is up to?"  
…

We had found the Abra and sent him back to the guild, and the injured Golem. The Onix was an easy task, but we had to use the badge to send her back.

"One job left to go." Liz said happily. "Yesterday this would have been too much work."

"But now that we've evolved we can handle this kind of workload easily." Alex continued. I smiled as I looked around the cave. I saw a small fire burning a few yards ahead in the darkness.

"And I can see the Charmander over there." I said. I pointed at the fire and the girls smiled. "We should have taken another job or two." I chuckled as we walked over to the source of the flame. It was a small female Charmander huddling her knees to her chest. She seemed withdrawn. I frowned. "Wait." My voice was slightly hushed.

"What's wrong?" Liz whispered. I held up two fingers.

"First, I think this may be a trap." I said. "Something tells me that there may be a quartet of fools in our future." I sighed. "And second, this is no ordinary Charmander." They both looked at me. "How many Pokémon go into that stance when they're afraid?" They looked at each other.

"I've never even seen any Pokémon do that before." Alex said. Liz nodded.

"That position indicates fear." I explained. "She's protecting her body, and more importantly, her genitals." They gasped. "Hariyama may have threatened her. That position is used by humans." The girls gasped again. "She may be the legendary Pokémon savior."

"We have to save her then." Liz said.

"You rush up and use the badge and tell her to wait for us to return." I said quickly. "I can't see the fools, but it's a safe bet that they're nearby." I switched my pipe for the ruby one and I pulled out my topaz knuckle dusters while the girls pulled out their own crystal equipment. "On three?"

"On three." They both said together.

"One." Liz started.

"Two." Alex continued.

"Three!" We all said as one.

I sprinted into the clearing and slid beside the Charmander, turning to my left. Alex had done the opposite, facing her right and from the back of the Charmander. Liz slid up to her.

"Wait at the guild for us." She said. "Tell whoever you meet that Team Chaos sent you." The Charmander made a quizzical sound but disappeared before she could ask any questions.

"You meddling punks!" A loud voice yelled. A familiar Hariyama landed in front of me. "You ruined our ambush for Team Chaos!" Vileplume landed facing Alex as the Beedrill came in from the other directions. "You're going to pay!"

"Wait brother!" Vileplume yelled. "They are Team Chaos. They've evolved!" I smiled as Hariyama looked at me with a horrified expression.

"And we've only gotten stronger." I said happily. "Do you want to fight us now?" Hariyama slapped his stomach as the Beedrill were flung into one another. The girls picked up Vileplume as Hariyama stomped at me. He swung his massive left arm at me and I jumped onto his head and launched a Mach punch with my right foot in a stomping fit. He reached up and I used a Fire Fang on his right hand. I let go quickly and jumped behind him. He turned around and tried to grab me and I suddenly felt like the world was slowing down.

*New support attack learned: Agility*

I smiled and ran behind him again.

*New support attack learned: Double team*

I looked back to see an illusory double of myself vanishing. It still looked like it was in slow motion. I launched another Mach punch. I counted the hits and smiled bigger than before. Thirty hits and he had yet to react. I launched a double volley of Mach punch and jumped while I did it. Hariyama yelled loudly and fell forward and slid several inches. I hit the ground to see a Solar beam headed my way. It was aimed low so that it wouldn't hit Hariyama, so I sprinted around the beam and saw the girls smiling as I ran up to Vileplume. I readied an ember, but the fire felt stronger than ever before.

*New attack learned: Flamethrower*

I smiled and opened my mouth and a large blaze shot out of my mouth and into the face of Vileplume. She screamed as it hit her and the flames engulfed her. She fell onto her back and rolled for a moment. As soon as the flames were out, she closed her eyes. She was alive, but she couldn't move.

"Wow Goku, where did you learn those moves?" Alex asked. I smiled.

"Just picked them up a few seconds ago." I said casually. I stretched and looked over at Hariyama. "I'm feeling pretty good about today."

"Us too." Liz said. "We both learned Psychic, I learned Psycho cut, and Alex learned Calm mind." I smiled.

"Well, shall we get back to the guild?" Alex asked. Liz nodded and stepped beside her. I stepped forward and Alex teleported us back to the guild.  
…

"Good work bringing in these outlaws." Officer Magnezone said. Our reward was four thousand Poké for their capture. "We hope to see your handiwork again soon." We nodded and walked over to the other board as he floated out of the room. We saw the Abra waiting with the Golem. The Charmander was waiting with her legs still held to her chest.

"Thank you for scaring off those Poochyena." The Abra said. "I hope I can grow up to be as strong as you." I smiled and nodded.

"Just work hard and find some good friends you can count on." I said. "You can grow up to be as strong as you want to be." He smiled and bowed and walked out of the room.

"Thanks for helping me back there." Golem said quietly. "I'm not used to sending out for help, so thanks for getting me out of there." Liz smiled at him.

"Everybody needs help sometimes." She said. "Even those as strong as you." He nodded.

"Thanks." He said. "I'll remember to have a friend with me from now on." He bowed and walked away.

"This has been a good day." I said. I turned to the Charmander. I lowered my voice. "I wonder if I'm right about her though." Liz patted my back.

"You probably are." She said. "I've never seen a Pokémon do that." I looked the Charmander over and grimaced. She had scratches all over her, mostly around her legs. Somebody had been scratching at her legs, probably trying to pry them open. Hariyama couldn't do that with his flat fingers, and Vileplume had no fingers at all. The Beedrill were probably trying to force her legs open for Hariyama. "I hope she isn't hurt too badly." I nodded.

"I'll talk to her." I said. "You two should probably get ready for dinner." They gave me a curious look. We were the last ones in the room. "Remember what Xatu said. She'll want to join our team, and if she does, it could mean the end of this world." I looked over at the Char girl. "I may have to be cruel, and I don't want you to see me when I am." They nodded. "I'll catch up."

"Okay." Liz said.

"Is there no other way?" Alex asked. I shook my head.

"I want more Pokémon on Team Chaos, but we can't have her now." I said. "She may have that Abra boy help her make her own team." They nodded. "I'll see you at dinner."

"Okay Goku." Liz said.

"We'll save you a seat." Alex said. I nodded and walked over to the Charmander while they walked away.

"Hey." I said. She looked up at me. "How are you holding up?" She shook her head.

"That Hariyama." She said. "He tried to, to…" I nodded.

"I know." I said. She looked up at me. "He was after me and my friends not too long ago."

"He was?" She asked. I nodded and sat down. I let out a puff of smoke. "Did he hit you too?" I shook my head.

"I was too fast for him, even as a Chimchar." I said.

"You escaped?" She asked. I shook my head.

"I beat him up." I said. "With Liz and Alex helping me of course." She looked at me with starry eyes. "Three times I've fought him, and three times we've beaten him and the others."

"Wow." She said. "You're real strong." She looked away. "I've heard about you and those girls you were with." She looked at me. "You're all real good Pokémon." She stood up and looked at me. I was just a bit taller than her. "I want to join Team Chaos." I grimaced. I wanted her to join, but I had to say no. Knowing what would happen if I didn't wasn't making it any easier. "I want to get stronger so no one else has to go through what I went through." I shook my head. She looked hurt. "But why?! Is it because I'm not strong enough?" I felt something catch in my throat. "What do I need to do?" I looked away.

"Team Chaos isn't accepting new members right now." I said. I had to use a program to keep my voice steady. "If you want to join a Rescue Team, you should form your own." I looked back at her to see her giving me an angry glare.

"It's because I'm too young isn't it?" She asked. I shook my head. "I beat up those Beedrill, I can fight too!" I looked away from her.

"Strength isn't a factor." I said. "We just aren't letting anyone join us at this time." She growled and bit my tail. I grimaced again and swung my tail but she didn't let go. "Let go, now." She bit down harder. "Sorry about this." I grabbed her and hit the top of her head with my left palm. She let go and I pushed her away. She gave me a sad look. "You may as well form a Rescue Team of your own." I pulled out my coral pipe and tossed it to her. "It makes your fire attacks stronger. Form your own team. You want to help Pokémon, do it your way." She gripped the pipe and looked at me. "Team Chaos isn't accepting new members yet. Either you wait for us to start, or form a team of your own." I turned around and started walking when I heard her growling. I turned my head and saw her staring at me.

"I hate you!" She yelled. She ran out of the room with my pipe in her left claw. She stopped at the door and looked back at me. "My name is Alice. Remember that you jerk!" I looked away and walked into the main room. The others were already in the dining hall so I walked in. Chatot looked at me for a moment.

"Had to talk to someone out front." I said calmly. He nodded and gave the signal to start eating. I walked by the others until I came to the girls.

"How did she take it?" Liz asked quietly. I picked up a piece of an apple and bit into it. I chewed for a moment while I shook my head. I moved my tail into view and swallowed.

"She bit my tail." I said calmly. "She's got a real set of choppers." I popped in the rest of the apple. "She said that she beat up those Beedrill before we got there. That explains the scratches on her legs. They were fighting her."

"So she was angry?" Alex asked. I nodded and swallowed. "You think she might be the one?" I nodded again.

"I have no doubt in my mind about it." I said.  
…

We walked into the guild to see Chatot talking to an Abra. It looked like the one from earlier. There was another Pokémon with a cloak around it and a female Sneasel. We walked to our room and opened the door.

"What's going on?" Liz asked. There were three new beds across from our own. "Three new beds?"

"Must be for the new team." I said. "Those three in the main room right now." They nodded. I looked over the new beds. There was a coal bed, meaning a new fire type. It was much bigger than my own as well. The other bed was a floating pillow, for the Abra most likely. The third bed made me smile. It was a small sheet of ice with fresh snow around it. "A pillow for the Abra, ice and snow for the Sneasel, and coals for a fire type." They nodded. We walked over to our own beds and the girls sat down while I removed my gear and put it away when the door opened.

"This will be your room." Chatot said. "These will be your roommates. I hope you can all get along nicely." The trio entered the room and the Abra looked at us for a moment while Chatot closed the door. I sat on my coals and moved so that my legs were covered. I had my tail barely sticking out of the coals, just the tip.

"Do I know you three?" The Abra asked. I looked to the girls. We really looked different without our apparel. I looked back to see white smoke issue from the cloaked Pokémon.

"We know them." A female voice said. More smoke billowed out. "Well, you and I do anyway." The Sneasel looked at her.

"You do?" She asked.

"Team Order, meet Team Chaos." The cloaked one said. She lowered her hood. She was Alice, the Charmander. "Looks like we're bunking with the mean team." I chuckled and shifted onto my back, piling coals on my chest.

"Mean?" The Abra asked. "But they saved us in the cave." Alice shook her head.

"I wanted to join them, but that Monferno told me no." She said. "I begged, but he just wouldn't let me because he thinks I'm weak." I sighed.

"I told you that we aren't accepting new members right now." I said. "We can't afford to have new members getting hurt right now." Alice scoffed.

"Just ignore them Arthur." She said. "We only have to share a room. That doesn't mean we have to make friends with them." I looked to see her putting her cloak on the ground. "Feel free; just don't expect me to care. I'm going to sleep. Good night Arthur, Jess." Arthur, the Abra, climbed up onto his own pillow and closed his eyes while Jess the Sneasel sat on her ice. She covered herself with snow and gave me a wink.

"Good night monkey boy." She said sweetly. I moved some coals to make a pillow and rested my head.

"Good night Team Order." I said. I looked at Liz and Alex. "Good night girls." They smiled and closed their eyes.

"Good night Goku." They said together. I moved my arms behind my head and closed my eyes.  
…

I woke up to see Alice doing pushups. I moved my hands and she looked over at me for a second before continuing. I moved the coals aside and climbed out of my bed. The coals were actually embedded into the ground deeply, so I could cover myself to get warmer. I felt much better than usual from sleeping deeper in the coals. I stretched and grabbed my kit and put on my usual attire. My scarf, my headband, my sunglasses, and my pipe made me feel confident.

"Where did you get those crystals?" Alice asked. I looked at her for a moment. She was standing up to retrieve my old pipe.

"Crystal cavern." I answered. "Anyone can go in, but we had an expedition a few days ago to the cavern and we picked up some special crystal equipment." She nodded. "Ask Chatot where it is and you should be able to get there." She nodded again.

"Sure you won't change your mind about me joining?" She asked. I shook my head. "Your loss. I'm going to be ten times stronger than you ever will be." I chuckled.

"That's the spirit." I said. "Set a goal, and see how hard it is to reach." She growled and I moved my tail behind me, making her smirk. "Sharp teeth and my tail don't mix." She smiled and took a puff of my old pipe. "Treat that pipe good now." She stared at me. "That saved my life more than once, and I expect it to do the same for you."  
…

We stood in the group as usual waiting for Chatot and Wigglytuff to come out of the office. The door opened and they walked out to a mild applause.

"I'd like to begin the day with a small announcement." Chatot said. "We have yet another new group of apprentices today." He pointed his left wing to the newly created Team Order. "Alice, Arthur, and Jessica have formed Team Order." The others cheered while Liz, Alex, and I clapped politely. "Please make them feel welcome."

The rest of the speech was the usual recitation of the basic rules. We walked up to the main room and split up. I selected three outlaws and the girls had chosen four missions to collect some lost treasures and return them. I turned to the door as Chatot walked Team Order into the room.

"Today I want you three to accompany one of our teams on their missions." He said. I turned and felt a wing on my left shoulder. "Team Chaos." I sighed. "Is it okay for Team Order to accompany you today?" I turned my head to see Jess giving me a sly wink. Arthur had a confused look and Alice had a creepy smile. I nodded and gave a fake smile.

"Sure." I said. The girls followed my lead and nodded as well. "It never hurts to learn the ropes from others." Chatot closed his eyes and hummed happily and hopped away.

"Don't take them anywhere too dangerous." He said. I looked at the missions and then at Team Order.

*Alice strength: Level 9*  
*Arthur strength: Level 8*  
*Jessica strength: Level 11*

I looked at the missions. They were mid level missions and they would be too difficult to accomplish with them in tow.

"Well, we can take care of these tomorrow." I said. I put the missions in a side pouch and walked over to the outlaw board. Team order followed me. "Let's pick one decent outlaw today girls."

"Okay Chief." Alex said. She propped herself up in the door frame while Liz helped me look over the board.

"Don't make it too easy." Alice said. "We aren't weaklings." Arthur gulped as I pulled down a picture of a Krabby.

"This little crustaceous fellow has been stealing various items from caravans heading to town." I said confidently. "There's a fairly generous reward and he's a pretty mean contender." I smiled as Arthur gulped again. I pulled down another poster, this one of a female Steelix. "And this big gal is in the same general area. She's been attacking those caravans. Krabby is using her attacks to steal the items that survive." I handed Alice the picture of the Krabby. "We find this guy first. You three should be able to handle him." I held up the Steelix picture. "We'll do the legwork with her and you three can provide covering attacks." Jess and Arthur nodded and Alice gave me a mean look.

"Why do we get this puny little guy while you take on a big steel snake?" She asked. I sighed.

"Steelix are difficult to bring down, even for a fighting fire combo like me." I said. "You're still in on fighting her, and you'll learn a lot from the battle." She huffed. "Don't get mad, we don't have to track her down today. We could just take the Krabby in and leave it at that." She looked away.

"When do we leave?" She asked. Arthur gulped and nodded while Jess crossed her arms.

"We'll wait by the road for you." I said. I pulled out a bag with five hundred Poké in it and tossed it to Alice. "Go to the Keckleon mart and buy some items. A reviver seed each, maybe some Oran berries, and some apples. We always go prepared for anything." She nodded curtly. "So let's get moving."  
…

We sat at the edge of the road. Liz was practicing some ballet movements with a smile. She seemed content to pass the time doing this, so I watched for a few minutes. Alex was hovering about a foot off the ground with her spoons in her hands. I was practicing my Mach Punch with both hands. Every few minutes I'd stop and let out a puff of smoke. I turned to see a disc flying at me. I held up my right hand to catch it and looked at it.

-Fire Punch- was written on the cover.

"Figured a fire fighting combo could use a fire fighting attack." Alice said sarcastically. The girls turned as Team Order walked toward us. "That cost us all the remaining Poké you gave us. We got a reviver seed each, an Oran each, and one apple apiece." I smiled and held up the disc.

"Figured you pay me back with this?" I asked. She nodded. "You don't want to be in my debt in any form." She nodded again. "I'll look at this later then. For now, I believe we have a red crustacean to bring to justice."  
…

We walked into a swamp and Alice was holding her tail tightly in front of her. I had my tail whipping around happily. I held the disc and was reading the instructions.

"Are you even paying attention to where you're going?" Alice asked. I looked back at her and then ahead. I looked around and saw some bubbles floating from a bush.

"Yes, the Krabby is behind that bush." I said. We had split into three groups of two. Liz was with Jess and Alex was with Arthur. We had split up to cover more ground and would reconvene later by whistling to find one another.

"What?" Alice asked. I pointed to the bush.

"Those bubbles are from a Krabby." I explained. "He's behind that bush, probably going over his ill gotten gains." She nodded.

"How do you plan to go after him?" She asked. I shrugged.

"I'll leave that up to you." I said. "You can handle a single Krabby." She gave me an incredulous look. "Hey, I've got this disc to figure out here. I'll learn Fire Punch, you defeat the Krabby." She nodded slowly and then quickly.

"Piece of cake." She said. She ran over to the bush and let out a surprisingly powerful ember. The bush began burning and the Krabby ran out and skidded when it saw her. "Alright Krabby, surrender now and save yourself some pain." It snapped its claws as I scanned it.

*Krabby strength: Level 10*

I smiled as it spat a stream of slow bubbles at her. She let out a cloud of smoke and the bubbles popped quietly. A few passed by and popped against my chest harmlessly. She jumped through the smoke and slammed her tail down on the Krabby and quickly spun around to let out an Ember on it.

I looked at the disc and finished reading the instructions. All I had to do was place it against my forehead and it would teach me the move instantly. I put the directions in the bag and placed the disc against my forehead. Seconds passed while Alice repeatedly slammed her tail against the Krabby, following up the tail slams with either her claws or using a quick Ember.

*New attack learned: Fire Punch*

I looked at the disc as a crack appeared. I looked to see that the Krabby had her tail in one of his pincers. He was about to use Crabhammer on her, which would likely knock her out right away. I tossed the disc and it hit the glowing claw, causing him to focus on me for a moment. Alice took that moment to wrench her tail free before slamming it down harder than before, making a small crack in his shell. He wobbled and collapsed as Arthur and Alex walked through a nearby bush.

"Is that the Krabby we're supposed to bring in?" Alex asked. I nodded.

"Alice took him down pretty easily." I said. Alice looked away. "I only had to intervene one time as well." I pointed to the disc as it sank into a mud puddle. I pulled out a pair of handcuffs and tossed them to Alice. "And now for you to make the arrest." She nodded and placed them on the claws of the Krabby. "And now, on to the Steelix." Alice and Arthur nodded.  
…

We met up with Liz and Jess. They, as well as Alex and Arthur, had managed to defeat about thirty or so wild Pokémon, making Alice's friends stronger than she was.

"Any signs of the Steelix anywhere else?" I asked.

"I saw a trail about half a mile south of here." Liz said. I nodded as Team Order looked at us oddly.

"Did it seem fresh?" I asked.

"About five minutes old." Liz replied. "The trail was headed this way, so she should be close."

"Let's keep our eyes peeled then." I said. I looked around slowly, taking in any movement.

"You seem a lot more serious than before." Jess said quickly. "Is this Steelix really that powerful?" I nodded.

"She's a bit stronger than I am." I said. "I've got to rely on my speed for this one, as well as my strongest fire and fighting attacks." I looked at my right fist and then at my bag. I pulled out my topaz dusters and slipped them on. They still fit, but just barely. I'd have to find some bigger ones or avoid evolving into an Infernape for a while. "I think I can combine Mach Punch with Fire Punch to maximize the damage, but I don't think she's going down easy." I looked to see something big moving through the swamp water. "There she is." I looked at Team Order. "You three stay back and used ranged attacks if you know any. We'll go in and keep her occupied." Jess and Arthur nodded while Alice looked at me with a look of anger.

"I don't know any ranged attacks." She said. I pulled out a small pouch full of Blast seeds. I tossed them to her.

"These are Blast seeds." I explained. "Throw them and they explode like a ranged Ember attack." She nodded. "Toss them as hard as you can and she should go down a bit faster." I turned and felt the world slowing down again. I felt flames on my fists and I looked at them.

"How are you moving so fast?" Jess asked. I looked back to see her jump back slightly.

"Agility." I said. I gave a quick two fingered salute as Liz and Alex teleported to head off the Steelix. "Get closer and provide long range support!" I looked at the Steelix. "Good luck Team Order."

I heard Alice start to say something but I had already started running toward our target. I jumped over a deep pool of water and landed on the tail of the Steelix. She turned her head and moved to bite at me so I used Agility to speed up slightly further. I ran just past her head and she ended up biting her own body. I dragged my fist up her back, making her shriek. I looked back as three explosions hit her side. I saw Team Order grabbing at the bag for the seeds. I smiled, remembering that there were twelve seeds in the bag. I looked ahead and saw a turn. I skidded to a halt as I felt Steelix floating up from the ground. I saw a burst of pink energy hit her in the side. It looked like a blade. I smiled and pulled back my right fist and let it fly with the flames engulfing it. I used Agility one more time and let it fly with Mach Punch. The combination of speed made my fist slam into her back almost too fast to see. She screeched loudly as another Psycho cut hit her side.  
…

We walked into the Guild proudly. Steelix was held in place by three Roselia using sleep spore on her. Officer Magnezone floated up and bowed to us.

"This is a good day indeed." He said. "You've helped put an end to the rampage of Steelix and the thievery of items by Krabby." He bowed again as four Magnemite set two bags in front of Team Order and two in front of Liz and Alex. "We hope to see you all working together for the better of Pokémon kind." I bowed to Officer Magnezone, as did Liz and Alex. "Have a good day Teams Order and Chaos." He and the Magnemite floated away. Alice gave a pleased purring sound and I turned to see her smiling.

"Looks like we're moving up already." She said. She looked at her badge as it suddenly changed from a plain badge to a bronze one. "We'll be stronger than you guys in a week at this rate." I scoffed and held out my own badge. It was gold in color with a ruby in the center. She stared at it.

"Make that two weeks." I said. Liz and Alex nodded. "That's how long it took us to get this far. Two weeks for you three and you might just end up reaching your goal." Alice scowled at me as I put the badge back. I looked at her for a moment and shrugged. "Don't hate the players, hate the game." She stopped and looked at me for a moment. Alex and Liz giggled as they walked into the guild. "And I believe it's time for dinner." I grabbed the two bags beside me and turned around.

"Dinner sounds good." Jess said. I smiled as I heard her pick up one of the bags.

I walked in to see the girls talking to Wigglytuff. I placed the bags in the pack and walked over. I looked over my shoulder to see Team Order walking into the dining hall.

"So Goku thinks that Alice may be the legendary human?" I heard Chatot ask. Liz nodded.

"She had her knees held close to her chest." I said. The girls turned to see me walking over. "She was protecting her chest and her genitals." Chatot hopped back a half step while Wigglytuff covered her mouth. "Hariyama had the two Beedrill attack her, but she beat them back. He then tried to have his way with her." I shook my head slowly. "Clutching ones legs to ones chest is a human characteristic. I've seen it before, but only in my past life." Chatot nodded.

"You're completely certain of this?" He asked. I nodded and looked over my shoulder.

"She may have lost her memory." I said. "She fought off the Beedrill on instinct, but she was weaker than I was when I got here." I looked at Chatot. "Something about the way she fights as well. The way she moves. She doesn't really have total control over her tail as well. She held it in her claws in front of her instinctively to keep it from touching water when a normal Charmander would just keep it higher above them." Chatot nodded.

"That sounds reasonable." He said.

"We'll keep an eye on her if we meet up, but try to have at least one guild member nearby at a time on a mission to the areas she goes to." I said quietly. "Have them write down whatever she does, in as much detail as possible. I want to keep an eye on everything she does, down to how she eats if possible, and certainly how she fights." Chatot nodded. "Never use the same member twice in a row. Humans are naturally curious, and most importantly, we must not tell her until the time is absolutely right." A quiet growl resounded nearby. I looked down and blushed. "And I think that it is dinner time." Chatot nodded and hopped over to the dining area.


	7. Some news, some trouble, some pain

***Yawn* Okay, for the next two times, I'm doing double post Saturday's. This fic is doing better than I'd thought, though it took time for it to be revived, and that was at the request of Poke-lover. So if you're going to thank anyone, thank him. I had no intention of continuing this for a couple of months, so a big hand for Poke-lover.**

**I'm a bit tired right now, but I woke up just a little over an hour ago. I had a late night working on another fic, the other one I'm posting. So, I should warn that these chapters are actually a bit old, and they've been sitting around for a few months, so I hope they're up to par with what you may be expecting.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to Pokémon Mystery Dungeon, so kindly keep your lawsuits to yourselves and we won't have any problems. Capiche?  
…**

I stretched and sat on my coals. I dug a hole and slipped in. It was like a little tunnel that just let my legs fit in. I sighed contentedly and smiled as I looked over at my pipe. I shrugged and put it in my mouth. It was early and the girls were in town checking for new supplies at the Keckleon mart. I let out a puff of black smoke as the door opened. I looked over and saw Alice walking in.

"Where's your team?" I asked. She looked over at me as she shut the door.

"Where's yours?" She shot back. I shrugged.

"Checking for supplies at the Keckleon mart." I replied. She smirked. "Your team too?" She looked away.

"What do you care what my team is up to?" She asked. I shrugged.

"Just curious." I replied. "You've got a real problem with me." She scoffed. "I'm not mean, I'm just giving you a chance to do something better." She looked over at me as she sat on her own coals. "Would you rather be in the center of the spotlight with others around you or would you like to sit to the side of the light?" She scoffed again. "I don't like being the center of attention, but neither do my girls." She looked at me for a moment. "I stand in the spotlight because they don't want to, but one of us has to."

"So you figured that you'd take the lead?" She asked. I nodded.

"The leader takes responsibility for any and all mistakes." I said. "I'm used to being in trouble, and I take the heat so they don't have to." I let out a puff of black smoke. "What about you? Why did you take the lead? Why not Jess?" She dug a small pit in her coals for a moment before looking at me.

"Because when I prove that I'm better than you, I want everyone to see how jealous you look." She said. I chuckled. "What's so funny?" I shook my head.

"If you ever beat me I won't be jealous." I said. She scoffed. "I don't want to be the best; I just want people to acknowledge that I'm alive." She scoffed before digging further. "It's the truth. I don't want to have everyone's eyes on me. Just those of my friends and those I care about." She looked over at me. "Yes, imagine that. The big bad Monferno has people that he cares about. A villain with a heart." I let out a mock evil laugh. "Now you know my nefarious plan." She scoffed and moved into her hole. I chuckled as the door opened. In walked her team. They set their bags down and got into their beds. "How's the selection tonight?" They looked over at me.

"Not too bad." Jess said. "Your team is talking to some green bird Pokémon with wide creepy eyes." I smiled. "I think they called him Xatu or something." I nodded.

"A friend from the mountains." I said. "We went to see him about something important a few weeks ago." Jess stared at me. "And no, I can't tell you what about. We were sworn to secrecy about it."

"So you can't even tell us why you went to see him?" Arthur asked. I nodded.

"Secrets between friends." I said. "It wouldn't be fair to tell a secret like this without a good reason." I smiled. "Maybe someday in the future I can tell you about it." He smiled as I closed my eyes. The door opened again and I heard the girls enter and put their stuff away. "Good night girls."

"Good night Goku." Liz said.

"Good night Chief." Alex said.

"Good night Team Chaos." Arthur said.

"Night girls." Jess chimed. "Good night big monkey."

"Good night everyone." Alice said in an annoyed tone. "Now please be quiet." I chuckled and put my pipe in my pack.  
…

I opened my right eye to see Alice doing pushups again. She looked over and I quickly shut my eye.

"Don't play with me Monferno." She said. I chuckled and dug myself out of my coals. I climbed out and grabbed my pipe. "You snore." I shook my head.

"No, that would be Arthur." I said. She looked at me and shrugged. "You on the other hand seem a little worked up." She went back to doing her pushups. "You're stressed at sharing a room with someone that was mean to you." She nodded. "But you also asked to be put here." She looked at me. "Otherwise you would have complained to Chatot when he moved you in here." She scoffed.

"I just don't want to cause him trouble." She said. I chuckled.

"Whatever helps you sleep at night." I replied. I stood up and donned my usual apparel. As I slipped on my sunglasses Alex yawned.

"You two know that psychic Pokémon have great hearing." She said. She looked at me as I looked over at Liz. She was looking at me with a small smile. "Well, now that we're up." She slid off her pillow and grabbed her pack while Liz made hers float up to her. Arthur slid off of his own pillow slowly and put on his kit while Jess stood up and shook off her snow. It didn't melt, but rather it settled on her bed.

"We may as well get ready for what happens in seven seconds." I said calmly. All three members of Team Order looked at me for a moment as I counted down on my fingers from seven. At two I pointed to the door and Loudred knocked, making them all jump.

"Morning roll in ten minutes." He said. "Not that I need to tell you six."

"Thanks Loudred." I said. "You're a good friend."

"Whatever." He said as he walked away.

"Does he come by every morning?" Arthur asked. I nodded.

"Ever faithful Loudred." I said. "He is a truly vigilant sentry for the gate with Diglett and early riser to wake up everyone each and every morning. He's one of the busier members of the guild." I smiled. "And he's a good friend of everyone here." I stretched and let out a puff of black smoke.  
…

We walked through the forest, our objectives nearly completed. We had grown by three levels apiece, and our final mission was to rescue a lost Rapidash. We looked around and spotted Charizard from the guild. I held up my right hand and looked where she was looking. Team Order was ripping through a number of bushes. She looked over at us and I nodded.

"Looks like your plan is working out." Alex said smugly. "You sure know how to plan, Cyborg Monferno." I smiled and looked over my shoulder at the sound of a whinny.

"That's the Rapidash." I said. "Let's get to work." We ran through the trees and saw the Rapidash being bothered by two Beedrill.

"Is it me or do those Beedrill look familiar?" Liz asked. I sighed.

"Our friends are nearby." I said tiredly. "Hariyama, Vileplume, and the buzzer twins." They nodded. "I'll go in and save Rapidash while you two wait for the siblings to attack. Toss the bees and I'll handle the leaders?" They nodded again. I sighed and felt the world slowing again. I focused and used Agility four times in a row.

"Moving fast Chief?" Alex asked. I nodded.

"I want to be back in time to talk to Chatot about his selection of spies." I replied. "Back in a flash." I ran over, still surprised at the speed I was moving at. I tapped Rapidash with my badge. "Team Chaos was here to help you today." She whinnied and vanished as the Beedrill were thrown aside quickly. Hariyama landed as I moved back several feet, leaving a Double Team clone in the way. I turned to see Vileplume starting to launch a Solar beam attack so I turned fast enough to leave another clone just out of the way giving her a raspberry. "Booyah!" Hariyama let out a surprised yell as the attack hit him in the side. I doubled back to see Vileplume covering her mouth. I let my fist ignite and I slammed it into her ten times in a single second. She fell away from me as a bright golden beam sailed over my head. I looked over to see Hariyama panting. I used agility again and sprinted over to him. His eyes went wide as I slammed a burning fist into his face. I sighed as he fell to the ground. I dropped to my right knee to catch my breath. The girls ran over to me and placed their hands on my shoulders as I panted.

"Goku, are you okay?" Liz asked. I nodded.

"Did they hit you?" Alex asked. I shook my head.

"Too much running." I said with a wheezing laugh. "They'll be the death of me even if they never hit me once." Liz giggled as I stood up. I turned to see Team Order looking over our handiwork.

"What happened here?" Alice asked. I looked at our fallen foes.

"Liz and Alex knocked out a pair of Beedrill." I said, holding up my right index finger. "And I knocked out a Hariyama and a Vileplume using Agility, Fire Punch, and Mach Punch." I nodded. "I used Double Team to confuse them and to avoid their stronger attacks." I looked at Hariyama, who let out a pained groan. "I also had no idea that he learned Hyper Beam."

"You avoided a Hyper Beam?" Jess asked. I shook my head.

"He isn't a good shot." I said. "He must not have been seeing straight, or that was the first time he's used it." She nodded. Alice scoffed.

"These guys must be pretty weak if they never hit you." She said. I chuckled.

"I'm just too fast for them." I said. I moved my right hand and Jess gasped. "Agility is a powerful move if you can learn how to use it properly." She nodded. "And our business day is done for now." I stepped back to the girls and gave a two fingered salute. "See you back at the guild." I saw Alice give me an angry look as we teleported away.

"Ah, Team Chaos." Chatot greeted. "I've been hoping you'd be here soon." I held up my right hand as Team Order appeared several feet away. "Ah, Team Order. Following in your opposites footsteps I see." Alice shook her head.

"Means to an end Chatot." She said. "It was a long walk back to the guild and I don't want to miss dinner." Arthur nodded as they began walking into the guild.

"Well, they certainly learn fast from you." Chatot said.

"And Charizard won't be here for a few minutes." I said. Chatot looked at me. "You should go with smaller guild members that can write. Maybe some recruits that they don't know."

"Maybe we should let her teammates know." Chatot suggested. I shook my head.

"They look up to her." I said quietly. "They'll tell her the moment we're not around." He nodded. "We need smaller Pokémon, like Chimchar, Squirtle, Treeko, and maybe even other Charmander." I looked up to see Charizard floating on a current of air toward us. "And here is today's information packet." Charizard dropped a small notebook and flew behind the guild. I saw the notebook floating down slowly. I looked at Liz to see her eyes glowing. The notebook fell into my open right hand and I began looking over the pages. I scanned them and saw several details that confirmed my guess. "She was human." Liz looked at me. "She kept looking at where Charizard was. She suspected that she was being watched." I sighed. "We need a Keckleon at the guild. He could hide anywhere as long as he could hide his stripe." Chatot nodded.

"We can only hope for a Keckleon to join if that's the case." He said.  
…

We walked into the dining hall and sat at our usual seats. Alice and her team moved down to sit across from us.

"You want to talk about something?" I asked jokingly. I grabbed a slice of my apple and popped it into my mouth.

"How many times have you fought Hariyama and Vileplume?" Alice asked quickly. I thought about it for a second.

"I believe that was the fifth time for the Hariyama." I said. "Fourth for the Vileplume and Beedrill."

"You seemed like you knew them well." Arthur noted. "Have you seen them outside of fighting them?" I shook my head.

"They keep finding us or they follow us into dungeons." I said. I chuckled. "They try to ambush us and they've always failed." I thought back to the mountain. "The biggest thing they've done was kidnapping Alex when she was an Abra. Liz was still a Ralts and I was just a Chimchar, but we ended up winning through some careful planning." Alex nodded.

"You beat a Hariyama and a Vileplume and two Beedrill before you evolved?" Jess asked. "You guys really are strong." Alice nudged her. "Hey, I'm just telling them my opinion."

"They just got lucky." Alice said. "They took them by surprise and got lucky with their types. They aren't strong, they're lucky." I swallowed a second slice of the apple and shrugged.

"Lucky or good, we've got a five for five score so far." I said. Alice bit her apple and looked at me angrily.

"I hate you." She said. I chuckled.

"Still on that?" I asked. Everyone was looking at us so I looked back. "What?" They all went back to their meals while I cocked my right eyebrow. I looked back to see Alice giving me an evil glare. "Leer won't do you any good my young nemesis." She scoffed and looked away and took another bite of her apple. I chuckled and went back to work on my dinner.  
…

I sat in the windowsill and stared out at the lake by the clinic. I had my pipe in my mouth but none of the rest of my apparel. I pulled the pipe out of my mouth and blew out several rings of smoke.

"Go to sleep Monferno." Alice said. I looked down to see her staring at me from her coals. "Not that I care about you, but I don't want to be up all night watching you blowing smoke." I smiled and put the pipe back in my mouth.

"You really have a problem with me." I said. I jumped down and looked at her. "We share a room, you pick jobs in the same areas as us, and you move to sit by us at dinner just to be near me." I chuckled. "Do you have a crush on me perhaps?" She growled at me for a moment and looked away. "Or is this a 'know thy enemy' kind of deal?" She looked at me.

"You dismissed me when I admired you." She said. "You hurt my feelings." She looked at the ground. "You save my life and then you crush my dreams." I saw a small puff of steam rise from her coals. She had shed a tear. "You really hurt me. And you never told me why." I sighed and sat down on my coals.

"Alice, you can hate me all you want." I said. She looked up at me. "You can be as mad as you want. But I didn't reject you because I thought you were weak. I rejected you because I don't want you to get hurt because of me." I looked at the window. "I have a habit of looking for the biggest trouble I can find. And we were a lot stronger than you were." She sniffed. "You weren't weak; you just weren't as strong as we were. We take on powerful Pokémon on a daily basis, Pokémon that could knock you out with one hit. Hariyama had beaten you, and we keep running into him."

"So it was because I was weak?" She asked. I looked at her and sighed again.

"No." I said. "You were strong, but we were fighting Pokémon stronger than Hariyama." She looked at her team. "We fight Pokémon like him daily, and a lot of them get stronger than we are. I didn't want you getting hurt because I take on Pokémon too strong for you."

"You could have told me to hang back." She said. I shook my head.

"Plans like that can backfire." I explained. "Just because you aren't in the battle, that doesn't mean you won't get hurt." She sniffed again. "Hate me if you want. But use that hate, use that anger, use it to get stronger and prove that I was wrong."

"Why would you want me to prove you wrong?" She asked. I shrugged.

"Everyone has different motivation." I said. "Mine is to keep Liz and Alex safe. I promised their parents that I'd keep them safe. This makes me fight to get stronger than I was when I woke up." I looked at my pipe for a moment.

"So I should hate you enough to get stronger?" She asked. I shrugged.

"You'll be motivated to be stronger than me." I said. She looked away. I chuckled. "Good night Alice." I moved into my coals and stretched my feet into the hole I had dug. I rested my head on my pillow and let out one last puff of smoke.

"Good night Monferno." Alice said curtly. I smiled.  
…

I got up to see that Team Order had left early. I smiled and looked to see that Alex had left a note for me. I grabbed it and looked it over.

'Goku, I am going to stay at the Guild today. I want you to take extra caution in your missions. I have to talk to Chatot about something and I may head back to the mountain to talk to Xatu. Please let Liz know not to worry. I'll have Chatot with me so Hariyama and Vileplume don't try to kidnap me.' At the bottom was a small drawing of a Kadabra with a headband. I smiled and set it on the ground.

"Goku?" Liz asked sleepily. "What's going on?" I got out of my hole and stood up. I stretched and let out a puff of smoke.

"Alex won't be with us on our missions today." I replied. "She's going to visit Xatu with Chatot." Liz nodded and yawned. "Team Order seems to have been energized enough to head out early." She sat up and rubbed her eyes.

*Strength level: 25*  
*Liz strength level: 22*

"We should slow down today I guess." I said after a moment. I looked over to see Liz looking away. "Are you okay Liz?" She looked at me for a moment and blushed before looking away.

"I'm okay." She said. "I'm just thinking about something."

"What's on your mind?" I asked. She blushed deeper. "Liz, you can talk to me about anything. You know that right?" She nodded. I shrugged. "Whenever you want to talk, I'm listening." I wrapped my scarf around my neck and put the headband on, followed by my sunglasses. I stretched as Loudred knocked on the door.

"Good morning guys." He said. "You know the drill by now."

"Thanks Loudred." I said.

"Whatever." He replied. Liz giggled as she put on her hat.

"I think he really likes us." She said. I nodded. "He's the first Pokémon we met here and he was the one who showed us to our room. He's a really nice Pokémon." I smiled.

"Yeah." I said. "He's always looking out for everyone else." I chuckled. "He's a good friend." I looked over at Liz to see her smiling at me. "What?" I looked at my clothes. "Do I have something in my teeth?" I looked for something reflective as she giggled. I looked over at her and smiled. "We should get going." She nodded as I opened the door.  
…

I looked around to see that Team Order had already left. I looked to see Alex in Wigglytuff's room. She was talking while Chatot was leading us through our morning cheers. I looked around to see that a few of the other guild members were not at the morning cheers. None of them had graduated from their apprenticeship, but I figured that everyone else was training harder.

"Last bit of news, we have word of a rumor about some kind of villain." Chatot said. I looked to see him pacing, actually taking steps instead of hopping. "His name is Combusken. He has been stealing important artifacts that hold tremendous power over the elements." He turned to look at us all. "I have sent several teams out to look for some of the artifacts to bring them in so we can keep them safe." He stretched his wings and turned around. "There are sixteen artifacts in all. Each one is tied to an element, and some have more than one." He turned to look at all of us. "So far he has four. And each artifact takes the form of a mundane item. We know of one item, and we have sent Team Order to retrieve it. It is a stone that looks like a mask. It changes size to fit the wearer, and it forms around the face. It increases the strength of ground type moves and allows the wearer to use any ground type attack." I nodded. "We have reports that there are two Fire artifacts and that Combusken already has one in his possession. It is a necklace made of rubies, but it has made his attacks much stronger than before." Ponyta stepped forward.

"What other artifacts does Combusken have?" She asked. Chatot nodded.

"He has a scarf that gives him the ability to breathe underwater and use any water type attack." He said. "There is the necklace of course, and he is very dangerous with his fire attacks because of it." He looked over at Loudred. "He has a pair of glasses that give him psychic powers. This makes him very dangerous because he is part fighting." He looked over at Blastoise. "And he has a belt that gives him the power to use electric attacks."  
…

Liz and I were ordered to wait at the entrance. If we didn't see Team Order by mid afternoon we were to head to the last known location. If they arrived after we left, Chatot would come to retrieve us. It was getting late and we would be leaving soon.

"I hope they get back soon." Liz said quietly. I nodded. I was leaning against the wall of the guild with my pipe in my mouth. "I'd hate for them to get in trouble."

"If they are defeated, their guild badges will teleport them back here." I said. "They'll be fine as long as Alice maintains her wish to prove that she's stronger than me." Liz nodded and walked over to me. I looked at the sun. "We head out in five minutes." She looked at me and nodded quietly. "Don't worry Liz. They're probably just trying to make a dramatic entrance." She smiled and looked out at the path.

"But what if they're just stuck and can't find a way to move forward?" She asked. I shrugged.

"Then we help them get past the problem and join them to find the mask." I replied. I let out a puff of smoke and looked at the pipe. I chuckled.

"What is it?" Liz asked. I looked at her and smiled.

"I would be laughing so hard if my pipe was one of the artifacts." I said. She giggled as I moved my pipe into my view. "It wouldn't surprise me in the least." She nodded as I looked out to the path. I looked at the sun and sighed a large cloud of smoke. I leaned away from the wall and stretched. "Looks like we're heading out." She nodded and started walking. I walked behind her and a thought struck me. 'Could their badges have been damaged or stolen?'  
…

We walked up to the cave and looked in. There was a large burn mark on one of the walls. It was too big for even me to make on my own. I bit down on the pipe as I looked around. There were small patches of ice. Jess had used an Ice beam. There were rocks splintered apart, and I figured that Arthur had used Confusion on them, or had thrown someone into them. The most unnerving sight was the coral pipe sitting on the ground. I walked over while Liz looked at the ice. I picked up the pipe and saw Charmander bite marks on the mouth piece, along with several marks I recognized as my own.

"This bodes not well." I muttered. Liz looked over and put her hands over her mouth. I looked around and saw footprints. "Combusken footprints. He's here." She gasped. "We'd better hurry." She nodded as I knelt down. She sighed as she climbed on my back. She wrapped her arms around my neck as I removed my scarf. She began to talk but I put the scarf around her neck and mine. "I'm not going to let you fall." I used agility ten times in quick succession. "Hold on tight Liz. And take off your hat and put it in your bag. This gets a little windy." I felt her move her right hand but she handed me her hat.

"Take care of it." She said. "I'll always come back for it if I have to stay behind." I nodded and put it in my bag. "Let's move Goku." I nodded and leaned forward and used agility again. I smiled happily as the sensation of the world slowing to a halt passed over me. I grabbed her arms with my right hand and took off. I felt the air shudder around me as a loud crash erupted from behind me.  
…

I ran down the corridors without blinking. I followed the burn marks on the walls and the ice on the ground. Team Order was still alive and they were fighting to either catch up to Combusken or they were actively battling him through the cave. I ran around a corner to see an Ice beam fly past me. I ducked under it. I was moving so fast that the beam seemed like it wasn't even moving. I looked ahead to see Alice struggling to stand. Arthur was in a similar state. He looked like he was barely holding on. Jess was struggling as well, and it looked like her Ice beam was taking all of her focus to use. Combusken however was moving fast. Not as fast as me, but he was using agility to move. I slid to a halt as the beam finished firing. Liz slid off my back, having used a support technique to copy my speed up, though she still seemed a tad slower than me. She handed me the scarf and I gave her the hat and we rapidly put them on.

"Combusken!" I called. "Give up now!" He turned slowly and began launching a Flamethrower. Liz ran to one side while I jumped to the other side. I ran up to him and he vanished. He had used Agility to match my speed while he was using his Flamethrower. I turned in time to block a Double Kick attack. I saw him wince as Liz used a Psycho Cut on him. I used the time to launch a Mach Punch attack with my left hand. I hit him in the chest six times before he backed off.

"You have no idea what you are doing." He said suddenly. I began turning when I was sent flying. I yelled as I grabbed the ground and spun around to use a Fire Punch to block another Double Kick. "These artifacts are being used for a good purpose." I growled and tried to use Agility when he slammed his left foot on top of my head. I felt the ground under my chin followed by a rush of energy flowing through me.

*Alert: Reviver seed expended*

I stayed on the ground for a moment and heard him moving toward Liz. I slammed the ground and stood up. He had anticipated me, but I managed to grab his left leg. He gave me an angry look as I opened my mouth to reveal my flaming teeth. I suddenly felt a different energy flow to my teeth and saw his face contort into a scared look.

*New attack learned: Thunder Fang*

I bit down on his leg and felt a rush of lightning rushing through me and into him. He grabbed me and the energy hit me as well. I let go as he tossed me. I hit the ground and looked over at Liz. I felt my strength leaving me so I opened my mouth.

"Grab the mask and get the others out of here!" I yelled. "I'll hold him off!" She looked at me for a moment before nodding. I spun and stood up and ran into Combusken as he opened his beak to use another Flamethrower on her. I slammed my fist into his mouth and felt excruciating pain shooting up my arm. I growled and fished out the coral pipe and threw it to Alice. "I told you to keep it safe Alice!" She grabbed it and gave me an angry glare as Liz grabbed her tail. She had the mask in her bag and Arthur under her other arm. Jess had her left claw on Liz's right shoulder. Liz nodded as a blue orb dropped onto the ground. "Get going! Get to the Guild!" Combusken let a muffled yell as they vanished. He slammed his right clawed hand into my stomach and tossed me to the spot they had been standing seconds ago. I laughed loudly and put my pipe in my mouth. "You're not getting that Mask so easily Combusken."

"You fool!" He yelled. He let out a cough for a moment and I looked up to see his beak had cracks in it. "Do you realize what you have done!" I smiled. "I shall destroy you for this!" I smiled bigger and sat up with my right hand on the Escape orb Liz had left me. He gasped as I raised my right hand. He opened his mouth and a large orange flame began burning as I slammed my fist onto the orb. Blue light filled my vision as I closed my eyes. I opened them to see Liz talking to Chatot.

"We have to send a fast Rescue party to help him!" She cried. "He could be hurt." I stood up shakily as Chatot gasped. Liz turned to see me letting out a puff of black smoke.

"I am, but I yet live thanks to you." I said. She looked at me for a moment.

"Thanks to me?" She asked.

"You left me the Escape orb." I replied. She shook her head. "Then to whom do I owe thanks for leaving an Escape orb for me to survive?" Jess raised her right hand weakly. I bowed to her. "Thank you Jess. You saved my life." I stood up straight before dropping to my knees. Liz ran over and knelt in front of me. "That Combusken has a wicked right hook." I shook my head but couldn't stand up. I looked to Chatot and gave a weak smirk. "Would it be okay if I asked for tomorrow and the next day off?" He looked at me for a moment before nodding.

"Take as long as you need to recover." He said. "I've given Team Order the rest of the week off for their injuries, so I don't want you taking any missions for the week as well." I smiled and gave a two fingered salute.

"Will do Chatot, sir." I said weakly. I closed my eyes and felt the world going quiet. "Just five more minutes Loudred."


	8. Rest, relax, recover

**It's been a while, and I've been posting Dragon Quest for the time between. I got a review from LeonTheGallade, so I figured I'd do a double post again. No one shot requests are in yet, so if you have an idea you want brought to life but you don't think you could do it justice or if you just don't have the time or whatever reason, I can help. I only take on one request at a time, but I always give it priority to completion over other work I'm doing. It's free, so don't worry about that. Just make sure you read my profile page to get the procedure, and don't forget to read what I won't do. Anyway, double posts are rare from me, since I prefer to do one chapter per week. I have several chapters left for this fic, but I need some inspiration for it to continue.**

**Now, a personal note I'd like to address. I'm now posting on Fridays instead of Saturdays. I'm also going to try to post earlier. The reason I'm posting on Fridays from now on is simple. TGIF. I figure that if you like reading my fics, it's not a bad way to kick off the weekend by kicking back and reading the latest chapter. Another note to make, I'm starting up on Gallade's Arm again very soon. Inspiration is flowing, ideas are coming into existence, and I'm getting ready. House is back on Fox, and it happens to be one of my favorite shows, and somehow it managed to give me a spark of inspiration. I call that a House Moment, where an idea comes along at the exact right moment when it is needed the most.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon Mystery Dungeon or Pokémon in general.  
…**

I woke up to an unfamiliar softness under me. I opened my right eye and noticed that the sun was a few feet off from the usual spot.

*Damage repairing*  
*Systems recovery complete*

I looked around before spotting Team Order in bandages sleeping. I looked over to Alex's pillow and saw that she was either still gone or she was doing something else. I looked down to see a comfortable blanket pulled around me and a blue arm over my chest.

'Liz?' I thought. I looked over my shoulder to see her nuzzling her face into my back.

"Such soft, warm fur." She said quietly. She looked up and I closed my eye. "Such a good friend." She nuzzled my back again and I felt a yawn tickling my nose. I sniffed and she moved her arm slowly away. She got out of the bed and moved over to check on me. "Goku? Are you awake?" I smiled and opened my right eye. She blushed and smiled at me. "How do you feel?"

"Comfortable." I replied quietly. "It's not a bed of coals, but I like it." She giggled quietly.

"You're welcome any time." She said. I chuckled.

"Are you flirting with me?" I asked. She blushed deeper and looked away. I moved my tail to rub her chin. The flame went out on a mental command before touching her. "I'm not hearing a no." She giggled quietly and turned to look at my face. She leaned in and kissed my nose and blushed deeper.

"I like you Goku." She said quietly. She giggled softly. "I think I might even love you." I smiled as she leaned in to kiss my nose again. I moved my lips to hers and she giggled and put her hands on her cheeks and turned away. "Silly monkey." I smiled and tried to sit up. I found that I lacked the strength. "You should rest for today." I heard something move and we turned to see Alice crawling out of her coals.

"Yeah Monferno." She said. "The weak should rest after a fight like that." I smiled as Liz made to scold her. I moved my tail to her left shoulder and she looked at me. She nodded and sat next to me. "What, keeping your girl on a short leash?" I smiled at her.

"Keep that fire Alice." I said. She scoffed. "You won't make us angry." She started doing pushups as her team stirred.

"What happened before we arrived?" I asked. Arthur looked up at me.

"We got to the cave and saw Combusken." He said. "We ended up chasing him through the cave until we cornered him."

"That's when things went bad." Jess said sourly. "He used Agility to move almost as fast as you and he hit us from all sides." She sighed. "I barely survived his fire attacks, and he used Psychic on Arthur." Arthur nodded.

"He threw me against a pillar real hard." He said. "My reviver seed was used up right there and the others went just as fast." He looked at the floor. He had a bandage around his head and his right arm was in a sling. "If you hadn't shown up, we would have been goners." I nodded. Jess had her left arm bandaged and she had bandages around her stomach.

"As much as I hate to admit it, we would have been killed if you hadn't saved us." Alice said curtly. She had her tail in a sling and she had dozens of bandages all over her. She even had a bandage over the left side of her face. "One more hit for any of us and we would have been doomed." I nodded.

"I didn't fare too much better though." I said quietly. "As soon as you disappeared he punched me in the stomach and I was lucky to have landed next to the Escape orb." Jess nodded. "For which I thank you again Jess." She blushed as Liz began petting my head. I looked at Alice and Arthur. "I think you two should be able to evolve by now." They looked at me for a moment. Alice nodded and kept doing her pushups.  
…

I opened my left eye and saw something that made me smile. Team Order was sleeping peacefully as the moonlight shone through the window. I felt a small arm settle over my chest and something nuzzling into my back. I turned my head to hear Liz making small peaceful noises. I smiled as she moved closer to me. I started to close my eyes when some movement caught my attention. Alice was staring at me with a strange look. I knew that she couldn't see my eyes so I watched her. I saw one of her claws between her legs moving fast.

"Goku!" She moaned quietly. I blushed when I realized what she was doing. Her scent was heavy in the air, but somehow the others were still asleep. "I need you so bad." I closed my eyes and felt sleep overtaking me. I couldn't help but smile as Liz pulled me in closer to her.  
…

"Goku, we have some good news for you." Chatot's voice called quietly. I opened my left eye to see that he was looking in through the door. Alex walked in slowly with a small bag. Liz was nowhere to be found. I sat up with a pained groan and saw that only Jess of Team Order was still in the room. "This is big. And you should appreciate this profoundly." Alex walked over and placed the bag in front of me. "Inside are several items to speed yours and Team Order's recovery." I reached in and found a yellow berry. A Sitrus Berry. It would fully heal us and give us a little more energy. "We also have news on other Artifacts and you will be going after them next week when we have all our members back." I nodded as Alex grabbed the bag and walked over to Jess. I took a bite and felt my strength returning. I looked over at Chatot.

"Where's the rest of Team Order?" I asked.

"Well, that's actually some more good news." Chatot said. He stretched his wings. "They've gone to the evolution cave to evolve. Liz has teleported them there so that they can be done and back before their injuries catch up with them." I nodded as I put the rest of the berry in my mouth. "There is one last bit of news Goku, and this is crucial. We are giving you the Earth mask." I looked at him while I swallowed the berry. "We believe it would be safest with you because of your speed. If you were to run into Combusken again, you could outrun him long enough to use an Escape orb." He looked as in thought for a moment. "Each team will carry one Escape orb per member from now on as standard equipment." I nodded and moved my feet over the edge of the bed. I still felt sore all over. "Be careful Goku, you still need to rest."

"I also need to move around a bit." I said. "I need to stretch my legs a bit." I chuckled. "Alice would never get off my back if I spent the whole time in bed." I looked up at Chatot. "She was doing pushups yesterday while I was here in bed. You know why we need her to push herself." He nodded. "For her to be her best, I need to be better than my best."

"Why do you need Alice to be better than you?" Jess asked. I put my hand on my forehead as Chatot and Alex looked away. "What's going on?"

"Jess, there is a lot we can't tell you." I said. "Unless you swear on your life that you won't repeat it to Alice." Chatot looked at me. "Until you do, let's just say that we want everyone to be at their best and she's first on the list." Jess looked at me.

"I don't get understand." She said. She took a bite of her Sitrus berry. "How serious is her being her best that you can't tell me if I'm her teammate?" I looked around. Something was in the air that made me nervous.

"Jess, this is extremely important that she doesn't know." I said quietly. "All of our lives literally depend on it." She gave me a serious look. "This is what I meant when I told Arthur that I'd tell him one day." She nodded. "Keep this between us, and meet me by the Evolution cave when we're both better. If you promise not to tell Alice or Arthur, I'll tell you." She nodded. A few minutes passed in silence and Alice, Arthur, and Liz walked in. Alice was a Charmeleon and Arthur was a Kadabra. They still had their bandages, but they seemed in better shape.

"What's going on in here?" Liz asked. She looked over at me for a moment before walking over. "Goku, is something going on?" I nodded.

"I've been trusted to guard the Earth mask." I said quietly. Liz looked over at Alice, and I heard her growling.

"Why him?" She asked. "Why not us?" Chatot flapped his wings and gave her a stern look.

"Because Goku is much faster than any of you." He said. "He can outrun Combusken, so he would be able to get to a safe place to activate his Escape orb." Alice gave me an angry glare. "You and your teammates were beaten easily, and even in your new forms he could make short work of you. You're all still off duty until the rest of the guild is back in full force."

"How long until they're all back?" Arthur asked. Chatot shook his head.

"We don't know." He said. "We haven't heard from anyone, but we're sure that they are okay." Alice lay down on her stomach and began doing pushups. "You shouldn't overdo it Alice. We need all of our members available." She looked at him for a moment before continuing. "Just because you're off duty, that doesn't mean we won't call on you in an emergency." She scoffed.

"You'll call on the Monferno before you call on my team." She said. I chuckled. "What are laughing at?" I strained to stand up but I fell on my backside with a soft thud.

"He went easy on you three." I said. "He never intended to kill you." Chatot looked at me. "Me on the other hand, that's a different story. I kept him from getting the mask, and he swore he would destroy me." I chuckled as I struggled into a standing position. "He meets you again; he'll beat you down and leave you alone." Liz moved to help keep me standing and she sat me back on her bed. "If I run into him, I'm going to sprint away and use my Escape orb. He will kill me if he can get in a good enough hit." Alice seemed angry at my words but she stayed quiet.  
…

I sat on the edge of the bed with my pipe in my mouth. I looked at my right hand for a moment and made a fist. I looked over at Liz, figuring that she would roll over any moment. I looked at the mask in my left hand. It had taken a similar shape to my face, save a spot for my mouth and eyes. I moved onto my back again and put the mask in my Rescue pack. Liz rolled over and put her arm over my chest.

"Hey Goku." She said quietly. I grabbed my pipe and put it in the pack with my left hand and looked over at her. "Can't sleep?"

"Just thinking about our responsibility with the mask." I replied in a whisper. She nuzzled my right shoulder.

"We can protect it." She said. "With your strength and speed, Alex's smarts, and my attitude, there's no way for Combusken to get it." I smiled at her for a moment and she giggled. "What?"

"You're my best friend." I said. She smiled. "And I'm falling in love with you." She giggled as I kissed her forehead.

"I love you too Goku." She said. She closed her eyes and nuzzled my shoulder. "Good night." I kissed her forehead again.

"Good night Liz." I said quietly.  
…

"So this is the female?" A voice said quietly. I switched to thermal vision and saw a tall Pokémon looking at Alice. It was Xatu and Chatot.

"Yes." Chatot whispered. "Is she the one?" Xatu remained silent for a moment. He looked her over and nodded. "I thought as much. Goku had a feeling, and this confirms it all." I felt Liz pull me closer.

'Goku, can you hear me?' Her voice asked in my head. 'Think yes if you do.'

'I can hear you Liz.' I thought back. 'You heard?'

'Yes, you're right about Alice.' She sent. 'We have to help her now more than ever.' I looked over to see Xatu looking at us.

'I know you're awake Team Chaos.' His voice said. 'You must protect her soon. Combusken may attack the guild while you are all recovering.' I switched back to normal vision. 'You must make her angry at you Goku. You must infuriate her by becoming even stronger. Come to my mountain when you are well enough. Bring your team and you will become strong enough to evolve to your final forms.'

'Thank you Xatu.' I sent. 'As soon as we can travel, we will hurry to the mountain.'

'Be careful Team Chaos.' Xatu sent. 'Hariyama and Vileplume know of your injuries and you must count on your raw power to defeat them.' He stepped over to us and I could hear him breathing. I opened my right eye and he stared into it as his eyes began glowing purple. 'Now sleep.' I felt my eyelid closing on its own and my body grew heavy. 'Be strong Team Chaos.'  
…

I heard a groan and I opened my left eye reflexively. I looked over to see Alice on the ground with a pained look. Liz had her back to me so I sat up. Alice looked up at me for a moment before forcing herself up. She did half of a pushup before falling onto her stomach. I forced myself off the bed and deactivated my pain sensors. I stepped off of the bed and slowly walked over to her.

"Get away from me Monferno." She groaned. I stepped over to her and helped her to her feet.

"Come on Alice, get some sleep." I said quietly. She tried to push me away but she gave up quickly. "Even the best can't shrug off these kinds of injuries." I helped her onto her coals and she wrenched her right arm out of my grip. She sat down on her coals as I turned around. "Good night Alice." I felt a coal strike my back and I turned my head. I smiled at her and gave her a wink, which made her blush. I sat on the bed and saw her digging a pit to sleep in. I moved over to Liz and closed my eyes again.  
…

I stood up and stretched my back. I whipped my tail about slightly. Three days and my systems were recovering perfectly and my frame was almost fully repaired. Alice however had overexerted herself and was stuck on her coals.

"Monferno." She said suddenly. We were alone in the room and she was staring right at me. I looked over as I rotated my right shoulder. "Can you really protect the mask?" I shrugged.

"I'll do everything in my power." I said. I moved to the floor and began doing pushups. "If he tries to steal it, I'll dig a hole and burrow away."

"Monkeys don't dig holes." Alice noted. I nodded.

"Not without the mask at least." I replied. She smirked. "If it were up to me, you'd be the one keeping this mask safe. You'd probably destroy it before you'd let Combusken have it." She nodded. "Who knows, maybe you're stronger than me right now and are the more deserving." I looked at her in mid push. "Perhaps Chatot will see that one day." I stopped and stood up. My servomotors weren't responding properly. Too much more exercise would prove more damaging than the work was worth.

"What's wrong Monferno?" Alice asked sarcastically. "Your injuries still keeping you down?" I shook my head.

"You overdid your workout." I replied. "I'm not about to make the same mistake." She gave me an angry glare but I just smiled. "Just telling it like it is Alice. You hurt yourself working out, and I won't be in this state any longer than I have to be." She growled as Liz and Alex walked in.

"Goku, we're ready to go." Liz said. I nodded and put on my rescue pack.

"Where are you going?" Alice asked. I looked over at her as I put on my scarf.

"We're going out to do some training." I said. "There are plenty of healing items for all injuries and conditions. We're going away to a safer location so that we can get stronger." Alice growled. "We're leaving, not as Team Chaos, but as Jack Goku the Monferno."

"Elizabeth the Kirlia." Liz continued.

"And Alexis the Kadabra." Alex added.

"And we're coming back a true Rescue Team." I said. "We're not going to be caught off guard by Combusken. We're all going to become fast enough to avoid him, strong enough to hurt him, and smart enough to avoid him when possible." I turned to the girls as I put on the mask. "And we're leaving now."  
…

We looked up the start of the slope and smiled.

"It's been a while." Liz said.

"Yeah, I wonder how strong the Pokémon have gotten." Alex said. I rotated my right shoulder and stretched my legs to the sides.

"Well, that's why we're here." I said. "We're going to get strong enough to evolve to our final forms." They nodded. "We're going to get strong enough to get Alice riled up so that she'll follow us. She'll come up here and get even stronger than us so that she can save the world." They nodded again.

"We'd better get started." Liz said. "Xatu is waiting at the top of the mountain and he's probably got all the Pokémon between us ready to try to stop us." Alex smiled.

"It would be very rude of us to keep him waiting." She said. I took the first step.

"And we have to pass his first test." I said. "If we aren't strong enough to reach the peak then we have no right to train under him." They nodded.


	9. More power, more anger, more trouble

**This chapter is hereby posted at the request of an anonymous review called 'the him'. I don't know who you are, and I wish you had an account so I could give you a message, but since that's not the case, I'll say it right here. I post on Friday every week. Okay? I don't post before then, and I don't post after unless I'm running late or wasn't able to post Friday. In such a case I post on Saturday, the old time I used to post. So, this is the **_**only**_** time I'm posting on a bloody Wednesday night at bloody eleven 'o clock! Seriously though, this is the only midweek posting I'm ever going to do, so don't think you can annoy me into submission. If you try, you will fail and I'll stop taking anonymous reviews, in which case you'll have ruined it for everyone else that wanted to review that didn't have an account (Which is free by the way. Just give your email address, come up with a name and password, and there you have a way to give a review that authors can contact you at for your replies if they're so inclined.) So, everyone who couldn't wait for PMD: Jack's Journey, here you go. After this, no more chapters for a few months. This is one of my last four, and the fourth isn't fully ready at this time. Come December I should have more chapters, but I've got Fallout Warrior, Dragon Quest V: Ace's Journey, and if all goes well, Gallade's Arm should be starting up PDQ.**

**Now onto the primary note I was going to put here later this month. This chapter is primarily filler and a bit of character development. So enjoy this, and keep in mind that you don't have to annoy me to post a chapter, just drop me a line or a review asking for an update and I'll post it. Don't spam the review button to piss me off, or I may just completely stop posting it altogether. If I really get mad at the constant bombardment of things telling me to review, I'll delete it completely, and then you'll be too late to do anything about it. I'm dead serious too, I don't really have to keep this fic up, so if you keep annoying me sufficiently, you'll see just how bad an idea it is to annoy the likes of me.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to Pokémon or Pokémon Mystery Dungeon  
…**

It had been two months since we had left. Combusken had been unable to acquire any more artifacts and he was getting angry. He was apparently running into 'Legendary' Pokémon and they were strong enough to keep him from getting the items.

Liz had evolved into a beautiful Gardevoir like her mother. She had learned many powerful attacks and Xatu had taught her Agility and Double Team so that she could keep up with me and Combusken. She had even learned Aura Sphere and Shadow Ball to handle types she was weak against. Her beret sat cutely on top of her head and her headband was quite a cute accent to her face.

Alex was now like her parents; a powerful Alakazam. She had also learned a great deal of powerful psychic attacks as well. She had also learned Agility, but not Double Team. She had learned Shadow ball, Psybeam, and Hyper Beam. She had her mother's glasses on as well as her headband. In her right hand she held her crystal spoon and her original spoons were in her pack.

I had become an Infernape, and a powerful one at that. I could summon a cloud to fly on and I had learned a great deal of ground based attacks. I now moved at speeds rivaling my old use of four consecutive Agilities. I was stronger than before and I had learned an attack called Bulk Up. It increased my strength and made my muscles tighten up to take attacks better. Calm mind was also used to protect against Psychic attacks. I had also learned Aura sphere, and I had managed to learn Psychic after much training. We had run into Hariyama and Vileplume several times as well, and I had learned Solar beam by watching Vileplume. And after the third run in I had learned how to use Fire Blast. I could now take them all on simultaneously without any trouble. I had given Liz my knuckle dusters since they had not fit my new fingers, but they fit on her hands perfectly.

We had all learned how to sense Aura, which helped us greatly in our training. It let us see wild Pokémon through solid walls or through dense forests or fog.

"It feels so good to be home." Liz said fondly as we stepped up to the entrance of the guild. I nodded as I put my pipe in my mouth.

"Do you think anyone will recognize us?" Alex asked. She had become more emotional, but she thought even more and at a faster pace. "It's been a long time and we look so different."

"They'll remember us." Liz said.

"Five Poké says they take a few minutes." I challenged. Liz looked over at me.

"You're on." She said. She held out her right hand and shook mine.

"Ten says we have to remind them ourselves." Alex said. Liz and I looked at her. I shrugged.

"Okay, you've got yourself a bet." I said. She nodded while Liz giggled.

"Count me in." She said. We all chuckled as she stepped onto the grate with a blush. "I hope he doesn't see up my dress."

"Pokémon detected." Diglett's voice called. "Identifying visitor." I smiled as Liz giggled. "Footprint belongs to Gardevoir. Please step aside for another visitor." Liz stepped off the grate and Alex stepped on calmly. "Pokémon detected." I chuckled. I wondered why he did that every time. "Identifying visitor." Alex sighed.

"Why does he do this every time?" She asked. I shrugged.

"We just have to put up with it for now." Liz said.

"Footprint belongs to Alakazam." Diglett said. "Please step aside for last visitor." Alex stepped off and I let out a puff of black smoke. I stepped on and looked at the door. "Pokémon detected." I looked at the sky and considered summoning my cloud to confuse him. "Identifying visitor." There was a pause. "Footprint belongs to Infernape. Please step inside and Loudred will greet you." I nodded and walked off the grate as the gate open. I put my pipe away and Liz put her beret in her pack as Alex switched her spoons for the regular ones.

We walked inside to see Loudred looking at us.

"Welcome to the Rescue Team training Guild." He said. "We already have our supplies for the month so if you've got something to sell, you've wasted a trip." He looked at us and furrowed his brow. "Do I know you?" We shrugged. "I feel like I've met you before." He stepped closer as Chatot hopped in.

"Loudred?" He asked. "Who are these Pokémon?" Loudred walked up to me and looked at my face. I had kept a straight face, but I was fighting a big grin. "They look familiar."

"I know Chatot, that's why I'm thinking." Loudred said. Chatot flapped his wings and Loudred turned around. "What is it?"

"Team Chaos!" Chatot chirped. "They're Team Chaos! They're back from their training!" I smiled as Loudred jumped back. Liz and Alex sighed. Liz pulled out five Poké while Alex pulled out ten. I smiled as they handed me the coins. "What are you doing?"

"Collecting a few coins from a bet." I said. "And it's great to be home." The girls nodded as they pulled out their normal apparel. I pulled out my pipe and my scarf. I wrapped the scarf around my shoulders and placed the pipe in my mouth.  
…

"It's so good to see you back Team Chaos." Wigglytuff said happily. "We've missed you so much since you left." Liz and Alex nodded while I smiled.

"But now we're back." I said. "And this time we intend to stay." Wigglytuff smiled while Chatot nodded. "How has everybody been?"

"It's been pretty quiet so far." Chatot said. "Combusken has been thwarted time and time again by Pokémon of legend." His tail and the feather on his head were moving in opposing metronomes. "In a cave he was bested by a Pokémon called Heatran. In an underwater catacomb he was struck away by a Pokémon known as Lugia. And most recently he was rebuffed by a Pokémon called Groudon."

"Have you visited the areas he's been?" Liz asked. Chatot shook his head.

"We wanted to send a group, but none of the apprentices were willing." He said.

"Except for Team Order." I added. Chatot nodded.

"They are heading to the location of Heatran." He said. "Heatran is a reasonable Pokémon who will listen to them. They will be relaying a message I have written. They will warn it to hide the artifact so that Combusken will not find it."

"Maybe we should help spread the word to the other Legendary Pokémon." Liz offered. Chatot nodded.

"We were hoping you would offer." He said.

"I think we should check up on Team Order first." I said. "Are the other Legendary Pokémon as reasonable as Heatran?" Chatot shook his head.

"Lugia and Heatran are the only ones we know of that don't attack Pokémon on sight." He said. I nodded and looked at Liz and Alex.

"You two go check on Lugia and I'll head over to Heatran's cave." I said. They nodded.

"Be careful Goku." Liz said.

"But you just got back." Chatot said. "Don't you want to rest for the night and have some dinner?" I nodded.

"Yes, but the safety of Team Order is our main priority right now." I said. Chatot nodded slowly.

"Are you up to such a journey?" He asked. We all nodded.

"Just show us where to go and we can be back in time for supper." Liz said as I pulled out our map.  
…

I ran through the cave with my arms behind me. The fire on my head was raging as I used Agility. I followed Team Orders footprints and turned a corner. I saw them lying against a wall with several bruises and other injuries. Alice looked over at me and tried to stand up. I had run into several other Infernape and they had all attacked me. I had tossed them aside with my speed and use of the ground based attack Magnitude. Alice looked ready to attack when I slid to a halt in front of her with my badge in my right hand. She sighed and sat back down as I put the badge away.

"I didn't think there were any Infernape in a Rescue Team out here." She said. I nodded and pulled out several Oran berries and passed them to the team.

Alice was still a Charmeleon but her muscles were leaner than before. She had a gold headband on her head, but it had no Aura signature. She had a band on her wrist made of ruby and it radiated a similar energy to my pipe.

Jess looked a little more muscular, but not much more than when we had left. She had a pair of black sunglasses that were rounder than mine and a diamond anklet. She seemed like she had lucked out and had the least of the injuries.

Arthur was propped up against the wall, but he seemed to be fighting to stay conscious. He had a scar on his chest but it had healed long ago. He had an amber spoon in his right hand and a yellow bracelet on his right wrist.

"You look like you've all been through hell." I said. They all took three berries each and quickly devoured the first ones. "Did you run out of Oran's and reviver seeds?" Alice nodded. "You're committed, that much is certain."

"We have a mission to finish, and we're not going home until we do." She said. I nodded. "Who are you anyway?" I shrugged.

"Do you really care?" I asked. She nodded.

"I'll pay you back for this." She said. "You saved our lives and we won't forget it." I nodded.

"I'm just an Infernape lending a helping paw." I said. "And I'll help you get to where you're headed." They nodded as they finished the third berries. "I've got a few Reviver seeds and a lot of Oran berries and nothing but free time in my paws." They nodded again. They stood up and turned and started running down the corridor. I jogged behind Jess, who brought up the rear. "So where are we going?" She looked back at me and then ahead.

"We're delivering a message to a Pokémon called Heatran." She said. "We ran into a dozen or more Pokémon at once and they really knocked us around." I nodded as we neared a large opening. "Heatran should be right through here." We went through the opening and there was a large platform suspended by a number of chains and two stone walkways. It was held over a pit of magma several hundred feet below. Above us was an opening in the ceiling. We were in the depths of a volcano. In the middle was a strange Pokémon made of what looked like magma and steel.

"Why do you enter my domain?" It asked. It had a deep, but somewhat feminine voice. "State your business or leave."

"Heatran, we are here with a message from the Rescue Guild." Alice called. "The Pokémon Combusken that you defeated a few weeks ago may come back when he is stronger. Our Guildmaster wants to warn you to hide the artifact that you are guarding somewhere more secure." Heatran stood up and looked over her shoulder.

"I will take your Guildmaster's warning under advisement." She said. "If you have no further business, leave now." Alice grimaced but nodded. She turned around as I pulled out one of five of my Escape orbs. She nodded and I tossed it to her.

"I'll see you at the guild." I said. "Take care Team Order." I whistled and jumped over the ledge. I looked below me as a gold cloud flew past me. I landed on it and turned it up and flew past Alice and her team. I flew out of the volcano and headed toward the guild. The girls would have completed their task by then, and if they needed my help they would call me via telepathy.  
…

I flew over the guild and saw Team Order watching me. I jumped and landed in front of them as Liz and Alex teleported into view behind me. I stood up and took off my sunglasses and put them in my bag.

"Hello everyone." I said. I turned to the girls. "How did it go with Lugia?"

"He said that he would hide the artifact in an underwater trench so that only he could get it." Liz said. "He told us that he would alert us if he sees Combusken again." I nodded.

"He's also alerting all of the other Legendary Pokémon guarding artifacts." Alex added. I nodded. "It's good to see that you found Team Order safe and sound chief."

"You three look familiar." Arthur said suddenly. "Do we know you from somewhere?" We gave a collective shrug. "I know you three, but I can't place the feeling." Jess looked intently at me and gasped. "What?"

"You know them Jess?" Alice asked. I pulled out the pipe and bit down with a smile on it as she looked at me. "No. No. You can't be." I nodded.

"They're Team Chaos." Jess said. I nodded again. "You're back from your training?"

"And we're here to stay." I said. I looked into the guild and sniffed at the air. "And it smells like dinner is just about ready. We should wash up." We started walking forward while Jess and Arthur stepped aside. Alice however started growling.

"What is it Alice?" Liz asked. Alice looked at me and growled louder.

"Liz, Alex, step back." I said calmly. "She's angry and she's going to attack." They levitated behind me at my words and Alice ran forward with her claws glowing white, which meant Metal Claw. I stepped aside as her tail glowed the same white, an Iron Tail attack. She swung hard and I stepped aside again. She looked as though she were moving in slow motion. "Alice, you can't beat me." She swiped with both claws, one after the other, missing by inches. I sighed as she swung her tail. I grabbed it and she growled at me. She wrenched her tail about and I let go so she wouldn't hurt herself. She turned and bared her fangs at me before using a powerful Flamethrower attack. I dashed aside a split second before and left a Double of myself that had a disappointed look. "Give up." I surrounded her with doubles, all with different disappointed expressions. "I'm faster than you." She blasted one of the doubles and I replaced it immediately. "I can create illusions of myself in any number." She fired a wide arc, destroying dozens of the copies. I replaced them all and made dozens more, closer to her. These had expressions of boredom. "And I can use attacks that would send you flying." She swung at the clones, which I replaced just as fast as she dispelled them.

"Alice, calm down!" Arthur yelled. Alice turned and used a Flamethrower at him. Liz threw a wall of light in front of him as Alice began burning more of my doubles. "He's too strong!"

"I don't care!" Alice screamed. She slashed at the close copies, only to turn and see more behind her. She slashed and slashed, but the more she destroyed, the more I made. "Show yourself you coward!" She screamed at the skies and I removed all of the doubles. She looked down from her yell with a surprised look. I was using my tail to hold myself up. My legs and arms were crossed and I was opening my mouth to let puffs of smoke escape. She ran at me as her claws and tail stopped glowing. She swung at me repeatedly and I blocked each attack with my left foot. She yelled as Chatot hopped out of the guild and gasped. "I hate you!" Chatot grimaced as I used a mild Aura Sphere to push her away. She landed on the ground and looked up at me with tears in her eyes. I set my feet on the ground and gave her a disappointed look. She stood up and ran at me and started hitting my chest with her claws balled into fists. "I hate you!" I pressed my tail against her chest and pushed her away. She dropped to her knees and started crying. "I hate everything about you!" She leaned forward and put her arms over her face and wept quietly. I shook my head and stepped over to her. I knelt down and she looked up at me. I shook my head again and stood up.

"I'm sorry Alice." I said. I stepped over her as Liz and Alex teleported over by Chatot. "I figured that if we trained for two months, you'd be training harder." I heard her stand up and sniff. I turned my head as her team walked behind her. "You say you want to be stronger than me, but you don't seem to want to work for it." I pulled my pipe out of my mouth. "I really am sorry that I thought you were serious about being better than me." She growled for a moment but looked away. I turned my head and walked up to Chatot.

"Goku." Liz said quietly. I shook my head.

"Later Liz." I replied in a whisper. "Please." She nodded and we walked inside the guild.  
…

I sat on my coals after making a pit the length of my body and about as deep. Liz sat at the edge of her bed and Alex sat on her pillow.

"Goku, can we talk about what happened?" Liz asked. I sat in the pit and nodded. "You were so cruel. Why?" I sighed heavily.

"In order to save this world she has to hate me." I said. "I take no pleasure in being so mean, but it is something I have to do." I looked at my right hand. "I feel horrible about what I said out there, but I had to make her hate me even more. She has to get stronger than all of us, no matter what it costs." She nodded and looked at the window.

"Where are they?" Alex asked. I shrugged.

"I don't know." I replied. "But I think we should point her to Xatu's mountain." They nodded. "I'll let Xatu know when they leave." I looked at Alex and began piling coals over my body. "I'll talk to Jess and give her the idea to tell Alice no matter how it goes. You tell Arthur to keep in contact with you via telepathy." She nodded. "We'll check in on them from time to time." I put my pipe back in the pack and closed my eyes as the door opened. "Good night girls."

"Good night Goku." Liz said as she climbed into her bed.

"Good night Jack." Alex said quietly.  
…

I climbed out of my coals and stretched. Liz and Alex had already left, likely to restock our goods from town. I looked over to see Alice staring at me from a laying position on her coals. I yawned quietly and grabbed my gear and donned everything but my sunglasses and the mask.

"Staring at me won't make you stronger Alice." I said. She growled. "Attacking me proved futile last night, even when I let you hit me. Why bother so early in the morning?" Her team was also nowhere to be seen. She looked at me angrily and growled louder.

"Keep making me angry Infernape." She said quietly. "Give me an excuse to hurt you." I chuckled and put my pipe in my teeth.

"You couldn't do it yesterday, and you can't do it today." I said. She growled and began opening her mouth. I left a double and ran behind her. She stopped growling and I placed my left hand around her neck, making her gasp. "I don't think you should make threats you can't back up." I let go of her and moved back to my bed as my double vanished. "I'm back, I'm stronger than you, and I'm here to stay. If you want to be angry, that's fine with me." She growled again and I made like I was going to move. She looked behind her and I smiled. "Just use that anger to get stronger so that I don't have to waste my time with you." She scowled at me and I looked at the window as Loudred knocked on the door.

"Morning meeting is in ten minutes." He said. "Good to have you back Team Chaos."

"Thanks Loudred." I said. "It's good to be back." Alice stood up and stretched. "Let's at least pretend that we've made up around Wigglytuff." She grabbed her pack and put on her gold bandanna. She pulled out my pipe and threw it at me. I caught it and frowned. "And here I thought we were getting along." She walked over to the door and wrenched it open. I sighed and looked at her coals as she walked out. I sniffed and groaned. She was still pleasuring herself. I shook my head and walked to the door. 'Liz, Alex, we've got the morning meeting in ten minutes.'

'We're on our way back.' Liz sent. I had learned how to send my thoughts to others, though I had to have some kind of bond with them. 'Where is Alice?'

'She's here.' I sent. 'She's still angry about yesterday.' I looked at the coral pipe. 'She gave back the Coral pipe.' I sighed. 'I'm going to put it in her pack later. It should make her mad enough to really start training.' Liz sent a confirming feeling as I stepped out of the door.


	10. Off to train, off to fight, off the team

**This chapter is officially brought to you all by HamtaroXbijouLover. He asked for this chapter to be posted this week, so this round is on him.**

**I was giving this a break because I'm actually running out of chapters for it. I've got one more, so I won't post any further until I get a few more chapters written. Overall, this isn't my favorite fic, but I still have plenty of chapters planned. I just have a lot of other projects right now.**

**And don't forget I'm still taking requests, so if you have one I'm free now. I'll take up to five at a time, but only one per person. And I have a limit of one request every two weeks per person.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to Pokémon or Pokémon Mystery Dungeon. There. I said it again. Good day, and enjoy.  
…**

I sat at the dinner table after finishing my food in seconds. I had wanted the opportunity to put the pipe in Alice's pack. She was staring at me while she ate. I looked over at her briefly and then over at Jess.

'Jess, this is Goku.' I sent. She looked over to me. 'Don't say anything. I'm speaking directly to your mind. Blink twice if you can hear me.' She blinked twice, though it seemed somewhat flirty. 'Make an excuse that you're going for a walk alone tonight. Meet me at the Evolution cave.' She blinked twice again and went back to her meal.

'Goku, are you sure you should tell her?' Liz asked.

'If I can trust her I'll tell her the secret.' I replied. 'I not, I'll just tell her about Xatu's mountain. They'll have a lot of trouble getting up there, but Alice has to be ready soon.' Xatu had told us that we only had a year to prepare for the disaster. At the level I gauged Alice at; she would have to take Xatu's training in order to be ready in time.

'What about her team?' Alex asked.

'It would be good for her chances if her team could keep her alive.' I replied. 'All the training in the world won't do any good if she gets exhausted before she gets to whatever it is she's supposed to stop.' I looked at Alice to see her slowly eating an apple.  
…

I sat against the trunk of a large tree near the Evolution cave, waiting for Jess. I looked around to see a purple Aura moving rapidly through the bushes. I smiled as Jess came into view. She looked around as I stood up.

"Goku?" She called. She looked around as I jumped to the ground, landing silently. "Where are you?" I moved behind her as she started turning around.

"Behind you." I said quietly. She turned and jumped back slightly. "What excuse did you use? I don't want to use the same one." She looked around and smiled.

"I told the others I wanted to go out for a walk." She said. "I told them I was feeling a little more stressed than usual so I just needed some fresh air." I nodded.

"Then I shall say that I wanted to go for a relaxing flight since the skies are so calm." I said with a smirk. "So, can I trust you with this secret?" She looked a bit surprised.

"You don't want to talk about what's been going on recently?" She asked. I shrugged.

"I'd prefer to get this out of the way." I said. "But if you want to talk about what's been happening, I guess it can wait." She looked around. "It's important, but it's not like it's happening right now." I smiled. "How have you all been doing while we were away?" She looked around again before sitting against the rock.

"Not too good actually." She said. "Alice has been running us ragged. She was determined to make sure that we got stronger while you were away." She looked at the sky. "She's probably going to make us train a hundred times harder now." I chuckled. "What? How hard did you train?" I looked at the sky for a moment before letting out a puff of black smoke.

"We woke up before sunrise." I said calmly. "We then went on a jog down to the base of the mountain and then back up. If we didn't make the run before the sun came up, we didn't get breakfast." I looked down to see her with her claws over her mouth. "Then we went down to a lake about ten miles across and swam across it both ways. After that we would fight a large number of powerful Pokémon until mid-day. If we lost, we would get no lunch." She gasped. "After that, assuming we still had the strength to stand, we would go down the mountain and back up while fighting wild Pokémon." I chuckled. "If we didn't make it back to the peak by sundown, we didn't get dinner."

"That's terrible." She said quietly. "And to think I was complaining about Alice. She just made us do pushups in the morning after we woke up and again before we went to sleep." She looked at me. "The worst she ever did to us was take us on missions that were too tough at the time." I nodded.

"She says she's training to become stronger than me, but I think that she wants to prove to herself that's she strong." I said quietly. "She may just be insecure." I looked at the sky again. "Or she might just want to prove herself to me."

"What do you mean?" She asked. I shrugged.

"I think she loves me." I replied. "I saw her pleasuring herself once. She was moaning my name, saying that she needed me." She gasped. "She wants me to acknowledge that she's worthy of my love." I looked at her. "And I think you love me as well." I shrugged as she blushed. "Liz loves me, Alex feels guilty and thinks she loves me, Alice might love me, and I believe you love me." I chuckled. "Am I really that charismatic?" I looked at her as she moved her claws over her crotch. "So, what kinds of missions have you been on?" She looked away.

"Can we, get to what you wanted to talk about earlier?" She asked quickly. I chuckled.

"I understand." I said. "I'm here because I want to know if I can trust you with a very important secret." She looked at me. "Can I trust you?" I sat down and she shifted slightly. "This may very well change how you look at Alice." I looked away. "And how you look at me." I looked at her seriously, which made her flinch. "I need to know that you can keep this secret between us. Can I trust you to not tell Alice?" She nodded. "Would you swear on your life?" She nodded.

"I won't betray your trust Goku." She said calmly. "You're a dual type Pokémon of both fire and fighting. I'm dual type of ice and dark. You could easily destroy me if I broke your trust." I smiled.

"Good." I said. "I'm glad I can trust you." I looked at the sky. "There is a catastrophe on the horizon. There will be a moment in the future that the very fate of this world will be at stake." I looked at the ground. "It involves Combusken and his search for these artifacts, but I have no clue how it all fits together. There is a legend of a human that becomes a Pokémon." I looked at her. "That human is Alice." She gasped. "She needs to get stronger, and I mean a lot stronger than I am right now. And this legend was very vague, and all I know of it is that she must become stronger and she must hate me."

"Why does she need to hate you?" She asked.

"Her hating me is to motivate her." I said. "The stronger I get, the harder she will train. She must become strong enough to defeat whatever will be poised to devastate our world."

"What does this have to do with you?" She asked. "Other than having Alice hate you?" I looked at her. "You said that this secret would change how I look at you." I sighed.

"I too used to be a human." I said. She gasped. "Yes, but Alice has lost her memories of her humanity. I still remember everything." I looked away. "I've learned that once the cataclysm passes, should this world survive, Alice may leave unless she wishes to stay."

"So she might leave?" She asked sadly. I nodded. "What about you?" I shrugged.

"I don't know if I'll be presented with a choice." I said. "I might be here forever, but if I do have a choice I'll stay anyway." She stared at me for a moment so I shrugged again. "I didn't have much of a life as a human. I've got nothing to go back to. My old life was boring, my home was broken, I'm an orphan, and everybody who used to be my friends think I'm dead. I've got no reason to go back to a life like that." I smiled and closed my eyes. "But here, I'm a hero. I've got two great friends who I can trust with my life. I've got a place to call home, and I've got a true purpose." I half opened my eyes and smiled wider. Jess was looking at me with misty eyes. "I'd rather never go back to being human. I'd rather stay here and be among Pokémon who trust me, who take me as I am. I'd like to live here until I grow old if I can."

"I don't know what to say." Jess said quietly. I looked at the moon and saw a Honchkrow and a flock of Murkrow as they flew by.

"We should get back." I said. She looked up and then back at me. "Unless you want to talk some more." I smiled and she blushed.

"We should get back." She said. I chuckled.

"Before we go, I want you to tell Alice about something." I said. She looked at me as we stood up. "Tell her you heard a rumor in town about a Pokémon called Xatu."

"Xatu?" She asked. I nodded.

"Tell her that the girls and I trained under him for those two months." I explained. "I'll tell him to run her just as hard as he worked us." I looked at my tail. "Except for the swimming part. Since she could get sick or die if her tail went out." Jess nodded and started walking. "Tell her in three days so she won't get suspicious." She turned to look at me.

"I don't want to go train with her though." She said. "I'm tired of working so hard. I'm just not strong enough to keep up with her and Arthur." She sniffed. "Even he's stronger than me. I used to be able to knock him around when I played with him, and now he can toss Gravelerock hard enough to lodge them in trees." She sniffed again. "I'm just holding them back. I'm going to quit when they go." I walked up to her and placed my right hand on her left shoulder and she looked up at me.

"You're not holding them back." I said. "You just aren't built like they are. You're fast and agile." She sniffed. "Alice will grow up to be like a dragon and Arthur will be a thinker with powerful psychic abilities." A small smile tugged at her lips. "You're a fast agile fighter made for hit and run attacks. You'll be faster than Alice and Arthur while she does the heavy lifting and he takes care of the planning." She smiled for a moment before looking away.

"Combusken might evolve too." She said. "I'm not going to be very useful against him. I can barely take a hit now. It won't matter how fast I am if I do get hit." I looked at the guild on the horizon. "You left the guild after me, on foot, and you still beat me here. I'm not going to be much good against Combusken." I sighed.

"If you quit, you're joining Team Chaos." I said firmly. She looked at me. "You want to be on a Rescue Team right?" She nodded. "Is it your dream?" She nodded again. "Then I'm not letting you give up on it. If you quit Team Order, you'll be joining Team Chaos. I don't care if I have to find a way to move your bed myself." She giggled. "I'm not about to let you give up on your dream, are we clear about that?" She smiled and nodded.

"Okay Goku." She said. "I'll be glad to help you." I nodded.

"Try to train with Xatu though." I said. "If it is too difficult to keep up with his training, tell Alice you're quitting. Come back to the guild and tell Chatot about it and tell him you're waiting for me." She nodded.

"Thank you Goku." She said. I patted her shoulder and she smiled. I looked at the moon.

"Care for a lift?" I asked. She looked up at the sky as I whistled.

"Can I?" She asked. I nodded as the cloud approached. It floated down in front of us and I stepped on.

"Try sitting at first." I said. "It took me a week to get to standing." She nodded and jumped on and sat down against my legs. I wrapped my tail under her arms. "Safety first." She squealed as the cloud shot up and forward.  
…

I looked over the town and smiled. We were taking the day off in town. It had been two days since I had spoken with Jess near the rock. The girls were looking over the stock at the Keckleon mart. We had learned their names since we had come back. The green one was known as William and his brother was Martin. I was standing next to an empty building. I was told that the owner was out on a business trip but would be returning within the month. His name was Hitmontop and he ran a dojo for Pokémon who wanted to train.

"I'm glad that this town is so carefree right now." I said to myself. I looked at the building and jumped up to the roof. I had disabled a number of my cybernetic systems when I wasn't fighting, and only if the opponent was strong enough would I ever dare to reactivate them. I sat down and looked over the Pokémon as they went about their day. "I hope this peace lasts."

"Goku!" A voice called. It was Jess. I looked down and waved. "Alice wants to talk to you. I told her about Xatu." I nodded and stood up. "She's in front of the guild with Arthur."

"Thank you Jess." I said. I hopped from the roof and landed in front of her.

"I think she might want to fight you again." She said. I shrugged.

"I'll give her the run around again." I said casually. "She needs to be as mad at me as possible." Jess nodded as I started walking away.  
…

I walked up to the guild with Jess in tow. Liz and Alex were standing by in town, but they were still at the Keckleon Mart. Alice was looking intently at me while Arthur seemed nervous.

"You came." Alice said. I nodded. "You know about Xatu's mountain?" I nodded again.

"I trained there for two months." I said. "You're going to train under my master?" She nodded.

"I'm coming back stronger than you." She said. I shrugged. "I want you to get stronger as well. I don't want to come back to find out that you've grown weak." I smiled. Her left claw began glowing. "If you do."

"You'll never let me hear the end of it." I finished. She nodded. "And you'll make sure I can never go on a mission for the rest of my life." She smiled. "Too bad I'll still be stronger when you come back." She growled.

"We'll see when I come back as a Charizard." She said angrily. She pulled out the Coral pipe from her pack and held it so I could see it clearly.

"Keep it." I said. "Use it as a reminder of how strong I am. Use it to remember how much stronger you need to get." She smirked. "And keep these two safe. A leader without allies is nothing."  
…

I sat on the windowsill that night and looked out to the lake by the clinic. It was peaceful and serene. I tracked movement heading toward the Evolution cave, but I couldn't get a decent look at who it was.

"Goku?" Liz asked sleepily. "What is it?" I looked over at her. She was sitting up while holding her beret.

"I'm just thinking." I said. "Jess said that she would quit if Xatu's training proved to be too much." I looked out the window. "I told her that she could join us if she did." I heard her move and I looked over to see her sitting at the edge of her bed. "Her dream was to be part of a Rescue Team."

"So you don't want her to give it up?" Alex asked. I nodded.

"You know that she loves you almost as much as I do don't you?" Liz asked. I nodded again. "And you're okay with her helping us?"

"She might have trouble finding decent teammates at this point." I said. "And it would be best if she had help during these troubled times." They both nodded. "And we can help her find a training method that works if Xatu's training is too tough."

"What if we can't?" Alex asked. I shook my head and dropped onto the floor. My flames on my head were out and I had normal hair under it.

"We will." I said. "She's a friend, and I'll do anything to help a friend."

"How would you train her?" Liz asked. I shrugged.

"Our training worked because we had each other." I explained. "We trust each other and we always help each other. Alice doesn't have that with Jess or Arthur." They nodded. "Jess trusts me more than Alice, I could always see that. I'll find a training program that she can handle, and I'll push her just a bit harder than that." I held up my right arm and looked at my hand. "As long as we help her and train with her, she can handle it." I shook my head and lowered my arm. "I'm hoping it doesn't come to that though. I'm hoping she can handle Xatu's training."

"You're a good friend Goku." Liz said. "I hope she can handle it too, but she's not like we are. She's more delicate. She might crack under the stress." I nodded.

"Yet it's that stress that makes us all stronger." I said. "But you're right." I sighed. "We can only hope that she can handle it." Liz nodded and moved back under her covers and I moved back to my coals.  
…

We were walking back to the guild. We had taken fifteen missions that day, and it was still about an hour to dinner. It had been a week since Team Order had left and it was quiet in the room at night.

"We did a good job today." Liz said. "We helped a lot of Pokémon and caught some really bad ones."

"I'm looking forward to a nice tasty dinner." Alex said. "That Umbreon was one tough customer." I nodded. The Umbreon had used a powerful dark attack and I had to intervene to keep it from hitting her. I had thrown an Aura Sphere to disrupt his Dark Pulse. "And that Golduck wasn't very nice either." I nodded. It had taken to hiding under the water where we couldn't see it and it used a Hydro Pump attack to pin me to a tree when I wasn't looking at it.

"That was also a new record for jobs today." I said happily. "Fifteen missions in one day and we still made it back in time for dinner. I call that a great day." They nodded as we reached the top step. I looked forward and stopped smiling.

"Oh no." Liz said.

"I can't believe it." Alex said quietly.

"You two go inside." I said. "I'll take care of this." They nodded and walked ahead. Jess was laying a few steps from the sentry grate. I walked up to her and knelt next to her. She turned her head and looked at me. Her cheeks were wet from the tears flowing from her eyes. I placed my right hand on her back. "Are you okay?" She sniffed.

"No." She said. She closed her eyes. "I just couldn't keep going. I couldn't make it back up the mountain in time and I kept getting knocked out during the fighting." She sobbed quietly. "I'm so hungry." I rubbed her back and pulled an apple out of my bag.

"It's okay Jess." I said quietly. "Can you move?" She pushed at the ground but couldn't pick herself up. "Don't try too hard." I set the apple down and grabbed her shoulders and turned her over. I lifted her up into a half sitting position with my right arm. "It's okay." She sniffed and looked away from me. I split the apple into eighths with my left hand and took a slice. She sniffed and looked over as I held it in front of her. "Can you move your arms?" She shook her head. "Are you lying so that I'll hand feed you?" She blushed and looked away. I smiled. "Okay then, open your mouth." She looked back at me and opened her mouth. I put the slice half in her mouth and she bit down and smiled. She chewed slowly and swallowed after a few minutes. We did this until she had eaten the entire apple. "How do you feel now?" She blushed and nodded. "Do you feel a little better?" She nodded again. "Good enough to go to your room?"

"Yes." She replied quietly. I picked her up and she blushed deeper as Chatot hopped out.

"I've been hearing about a collapsed Sneasel out here." He said. I turned and he saw Jess. "Jessica?" I nodded.

"Xatu pushed her too hard." I said. "She couldn't live up to his expectations and she couldn't earn her meals." Chatot gasped.

"He denied her food?" He asked. I nodded.

"That's how it was with the rest of us." I said. "Down and up the mountain before first light or no breakfast, swim across a lake twice and fight trained Pokémon or no lunch, and a fight with wild Pokémon until sunset or no dinner." He looked shocked. "His training isn't for everyone." Jess nodded and moved closer to my chest and looked at Chatot.

"I want to quit Team Order Chatot." She said.

"Why would you do that?" He asked.

"I just don't trust them enough." She replied. "I trust Goku, Liz, and Alex more than Alice and Arthur. I want to join Team Chaos."

"Are you okay with this Goku?" Chatot asked. I nodded. "Well, I'll take care of the paperwork and I will have her bed moved as soon as I can."

"Thank you Chatot." Jess said. He nodded and turned around as I began walking.

'Liz, Alex, I'm taking Jess to the room.' I sent. 'She hasn't eaten in a week, so I'll be taking my meal and hers to the room.'

'Okay Goku.' Liz sent. 'Is she okay?'

'I'll let Girafarig know.' Alex sent.

'She'll be fine Liz, and thanks Alex.' I returned. I looked to see that Jess had buried her face in my chest fur. 'I'll be along shortly.'  
…

I walked in with the two plates and saw Jess looking up at the window. I had set her against the wall her ice was against in a sitting position. She looked over at me and smiled.

"Thank you so much Goku." She said. "I don't think I'll be walking for a while." I nodded.

"I was in a similar shape by the end of the third day." I said. She giggled softly. "I'm serious. By the end of the third day I could barely move at all. I had done all the work but I hadn't eaten at all that whole day. I was starving and I could barely feel my whole body."

"How did you make it?" She asked. I shrugged.

"I kept thinking of getting stronger so that Alice could save the world." I said. "Xatu will tell her how hard I worked and how much I pushed myself each day, and she will work harder and push herself further." I sat down next to her and felt the sting of the ice. "This world needs her to be strong enough to protect it. She needs to be stronger than I am, so that she can do it." I split her apple on the plate into eighths as before. "She also needs to hate me enough so that she that she will become what I cannot be." I held the first slice up to her mouth and she tried to pull it from my hand. I chuckled and snapped it. "Take it slow. During the first week I went three days in a row without any food. I tried to eat an apple whole and nearly choked." She giggled as she chewed. "Every day I went without food made me want to quit, but I couldn't. You went a whole week without food Jess. You did a good job." She looked away.

"But I quit." She said. "I couldn't handle it." She sniffed quietly. "Alice wouldn't help me. She told me to get up and keep going when I fell on the last time we were running up the mountain. She told Arthur to leave me alone and to just keep going." Her eyes began watering. "He just said sorry and ran to catch up to her."

"So you got up and turned around." I said quietly. She nodded. "They don't know what they've done by not helping you." She looked at me. "Alice isn't a very good leader." I held up the other half of the slice. The girls would be going into town after dinner so I could talk to Jess and make her feel better. She took the piece and chewed silently. "A good leader helps their friends. A good leader would deny food if the others didn't eat." She swallowed and looked at the plate and then back at me.

"Did you do that?" She asked. I nodded.

"If Alex or Liz didn't eat, I refused my own food." I said. I chuckled as I picked up another slice. "That first week on the third day the girls were too tired to do anything and I did all the workouts alone. I did everything in time to eat, but I never did. Xatu told them that they would go without food that day and I did as well." I chuckled again. "I've never been madder at my sense of honor, but I've never been more proud of myself." She bit the slice and chewed it silently. "The girls had scolded me for not eating too. I simply laughed and told them that they were just being silly." I smiled. "It was tough, but it was worth it."

"Did Xatu yell at you when you failed?" She asked. I nodded.

"He was very loud when we couldn't complete out tasks." I said. "He pushed us hard, but we just did as he said." I chuckled as she took the other half of the slice. "I did anyway. The girls often talked back to him if he pushed them harder than they wanted the first day. He made them go without lunch and dinner when he told us to swim. They were worried that I wouldn't be okay in the water." Jess nodded. "I told them to just let it go from then on. They listened but they weren't very happy about it." I picked up another slice and held it to her lips and she accidentally bit my fingers. She let go and moved her head away.

"Sorry." She said quickly. I shook my head. "Did that hurt?" I shrugged.

"I've been on the receiving end of dozens of bite attacks." I said. "Xatu's training pitted me against some powerful jaws. On a scale of one to ten, you rate a four." She smirked as I held up my hand. "No bite marks. My skin is a lot tougher than before." She nodded and opened her mouth and I put the slice in her mouth. She quickly shut her mouth and stared at me. "If you want the whole slice, chew it slow. I don't want you to choke." She nodded and chewed slowly. "If you want to talk while you eat, you can just think it and I'll respond normally." She smiled.

'Like this?' She thought. I nodded. 'Did you ever fight Xatu?'

"Yes." I replied. "Once, but I regretted my decision deeply." I smiled. "He tossed me around like a leaf in a whirlwind." I grabbed another slice with my right hand and held it out to her. She bit one end and I let go. She pulled it into her mouth and smiled. "Alice took him on didn't she?"

'Yes.' She replied. 'He hurt her pretty bad, but he still made her work the next day.' I smiled.

"He did that to me too." I said. "He wouldn't let me sleep it off. I got through that day only because the girls helped me." I grabbed another slice with my left hand and my own apple with my right. She took her slice and I bit a small chunk out of the apple. 'That day I ended up nearly drowning because of the number he did on my right arm. He nearly broke it.'

'Alice said she wouldn't leave the mountain until she and Arthur could beat him easily.' Jess thought. 'She wanted me there too, but I just couldn't take it. There were just too many fighting, rock, and steel types.' I nodded and placed another slice in her mouth. She chewed it quickly though.

"Yeah, they gave me a lot of trouble the first three weeks." I said fondly. I gave her the next slice and she giggled as I put it in her mouth. "There was this Machamp that liked to help a Golem use Body slam by throwing him at me." She giggled after she swallowed the slice. "You know those two?" She nodded.

"Alice has a grudge to settle with the Golem." She said. "He used Fissure on her and she just barely avoided it." I chuckled and held my right index and thumb half an inch apart.

"He came that close to getting me with that move." I said. "I put on the mask the next day and learned it by watching him use it again. I shot it right back at him and half of the others." Jess giggled as I held up another slice. "I missed him, but most of the others weren't as lucky." She bit the slice and moved it in and out of her lips before pulling it in completely.

'So the mask lets you use ground type moves?' She asked. I nodded. 'What's it like using a move you can't normally use?' I shrugged.

"It felt awkward to say the least." I replied. I took a bite of my apple. 'I had to jump into the air and slam my entire right arm onto the ground to use Fissure.' I looked at the plate and saw that she had finished her apple. Still on the plate were several berries. They had no names and were smaller than the Oran normally used to accelerate our healing. I grabbed a blue one and held it up. She opened her mouth and I placed it on her tongue. I looked at my apple and put the whole thing in my mouth. 'It hurt using that one though. The slam had to be perfect and very hard against a stone ground.' I chuckled. 'Xatu used some kind of power to repair the ground each time we did any significant damage.'

'What about Liz and Alex?' She asked. 'How did they keep going?' I shrugged.

'I don't know.' I replied. 'I kept telling them to keep going, I kept helping them up, and I made sure we all ate or I didn't. If Liz or Alex didn't eat, if it wasn't all three of us, I'd just tell Xatu to eat my share.' I swallowed the apple and grabbed another berry, a red one. There were three more on her plate and I used agility to devour my own while I put hers in her mouth.

'You're a lot faster than I remember.' She sent. I nodded.

"It's like I'm constantly using four consecutive Agility attacks." I said. "Except I feel like the world is at normal speed when I'm not fighting."

'What do you mean normal speed?' She asked. I shrugged.

"When I first used Agility, I felt like the world was slowing to a crawl around me." I said. "Every time since, it felt the same. The world seemed to slow down more and more around me. It was like the normal laws of nature didn't apply to me." I grabbed another berry and she opened her mouth. I placed the berry on her tongue and she smiled as she closed her mouth. "Do you know Agility?" She nodded. "Don't you get the same sense that the world is slowing down?" She looked as though in thought and shrugged.

'I've never notice it before.' She sent. 'I'm usually fighting someone strong so I have to concentrate on the fight.' I nodded. 'I'll think about it later though.'

"Just eat this last berry and you can go to sleep." I said. She nodded.

'I wish I could train like you and the others.' She sent. I shook my head.

"You tried that, and it was too much." I said. "There is a way to train you to become as strong as us, but it isn't the same. Not everyone can take that stress like we did. I'm sure that Alice can take it, and Arthur can do it if he applies himself." I shook my head again. "But you're different. You not made to fight like us. We're built to handle harder hits than you. You're built to move around those attacks, you're made to strike fast and repeatedly." She nodded. "I'm made to move fast and hit hard, but I'm not capable of taking much punishment from non-physical attacks. I'm geared for prolonged physical battles."

"And I'm more like a scout." She said. I nodded. "What about Liz and Alex? They're Psychic types. They're not made to take hard physical attacks." I nodded again.

"You're exactly right." I said. "I'm the main line attack and defense for that though. I handle the hard hitters and the girls hold off the long range fighters and other non-physical attacks." She nodded. "Arthur is the same, he isn't made for getting up close and personal like Alice is. She can take those hits he can't and he should take on those she can't hit." I handed her the last berry and she smiled.

'I hope I can keep up with you and the girls.' She sent. I nodded.

"You will Jess." I assured. "You'll be a welcome addition to Team Chaos." She nodded. "And you're adding to that theme." She tilted her head to the left. "I'm an inferno of fists, fire and fighting. Liz and Alex are pure Psychic guardians." She smiled. "You're a dark maiden of the ice. The four of us are a bunch of opposing types, but we make a great team."


	11. Warm welcome, hot fight, feelings told

**Ah, that was a long vacation. But I'm back, and I'm feeling confident. With this chapter, we have a lot of action and a bit of love blossoming. I hope you like it, because I don't feel like changing it. The rating may change, but you'll be surprised why. More or less I hope this does well, because I'm trying to keep this one on track instead of turning it in a direction I didn't intend.**

**Disclaimer: I, Lord Genesis Shadow, do not own the rights to Pokémon or Pokémon Mystery Dungeon. Have a nice day.  
…**

Four months passed quickly and Jess was moving as fast as me. She had quickly earned Liz's and Alex's trust and she was very happy with our team. Her training consisted of long runs through the nearby forests each morning and hand to claw training in the afternoons every other day. She had told me that she'd made the decision to never evolve into a Weavile. She liked her current form so much she wanted to stay that way.

I woke up early and sat in my coals thinking about how long we had left. I looked at Liz and Alex. They were both still asleep and the sun had yet to rise. I looked to Jess to see her looking at the ceiling. I was having problems with her and Liz. They both loved me and I didn't know what to do. I sat up and the coals fell off of me. I looked over at Jess and she was looking at me.

"Good morning Goku." She said. I nodded.

"Good morning Jess." I said quietly. "Rough night?" She shook her head.

"I'm just thinking." She said. "I hope Alice and Arthur are okay." I nodded and Liz yawned. I turned my head as she opened her eyes.

"Good morning Goku." She said. She sat up and stretched. "Good morning Jess."

"Good morning Liz." I said.

"Good morning Liz." Jess said. "Did you sleep well?" Liz nodded.

"Good morning everyone." Alex said groggily. "Now let's keep it down so I can meditate to finish the sleep I'm missing." She yawned as we all laughed quietly. "Go outside if you want to talk."

"Okay Alex." I said. I stood up and stretched. "I could use some air anyway."

"I'll go with you." Liz said. "I want to watch the sun come up." She stood up and put on her beret. I used triple agility and donned my normal attire. Jess had stood up and began brushing the snow off of herself.

"That sounds like a good idea." She said. I stretched again and moved over to the door. Liz giggled and floated next to Jess. They walked out the door together and I looked at my coals.

"I'll catch up." I said. "I think something fell out of my pack."

"Hurry up Goku." Liz said.

"Yeah, the sunrise won't wait." Jess added. They walked away and I slowly shut the door.

"What do you want to talk about chief?" Alex asked. I chuckled.

"Am I that transparent?" I asked. Alex chuckled.

"Like a diamond." She said.

"I guess I won't keep you up for long." I said with another chuckle. I sighed. "You know about their feelings for me." She nodded. "Well, I'm starting to feel the same for both of them." I leaned against the wall. "It's causing problems for me. I used to protect you all because I made a promise. Now that reason extends only to you." I looked at the wall to my right. "I protect them because I'm falling in love with them."

"I fail to see the problem." She said. I chuckled. "Many Pokémon take multiple mates. One as the Alpha mate and several as Beta mates." I sighed.

"Does that apply to me?" I asked. "I used to be a human, then a humanoid machine." I shrugged. "Would these rules apply to me?"

"You said that you'd rather be a Pokémon to the rest of your life." She said calmly. I looked at her and then at my body. "You have become a Pokémon, so I would say that if you love them both, you should tell them. If it's okay with them, and if you don't mind having two mates, then you shouldn't worry." I smiled. She was right. I said that even if I was presented with a way, I would never go back to being human, or a human cyborg.

"You always have the answer Alex." I said. She smiled and closed her eyes. "I think we should take the day off." I stood up and opened the door. "See you at the meeting."

'Will do Goku.' She sent.  
…

I walked up to the girls and sensed two Pokémon walking our way. Liz and Jess were staring intently at them.

"Who are they?" Liz asked. I looked at the forms and zoomed in.

"How far away are they?" Jess asked. I set the focus and smiled.

"Well, this is a surprise." I said. I zoomed back and smiled wider. "I see two known Pokémon, one tall and red with wings and one yellow with brown body armor and two spoons." Jess gasped.

"Alice and Arthur?" She asked. I nodded. "Wow, I can't believe they're back." I chuckled.

"It's going to be a little violent when she arrives if I'm still here." I said. "She'll want to prove herself right away." I flexed my right hand several times. "I hope she's up to it." They both nodded.

"We've still got a while before the disaster though." Jess said. "And I don't know if she knows about it yet." I shook my head.

"Xatu would have told me if she knew." I said. "He told me that he'd keep me in the loop so I could keep pushing her." I smiled wider. "This day is looking up."

"How will you fight her?" Liz asked. I shrugged.

"If she's learned the value of teamwork, I may have a challenge on my hands." I said. "But she wants the pleasure of beating me on her own." I cracked my knuckles. "Her Aura is much stronger than before. But has she gotten faster? Or has she devoted herself to raw power?" Jess looked out at the two shapes coming into view.

"I can almost see her Aura." She said. She had been having trouble with sensing Aura. I shook my head.

"Don't try to see it." I said. "Try to see her, and try to feel it. Close your eyes and it becomes easier." She nodded and closed her eyes. Team Order would take another ten minutes to arrive and I pondered about if I should tell them about how I felt. I decided to tell them later, regardless of the outcome of the unavoidable fight. "Can you feel the Aura?"

"Almost." Jess said. "It's faint, but I can just feel it." I nodded.

"You're learning fast." I said. She had started training to sense Aura only two weeks prior. Liz and Alex had picked up the technique in two days while I had spent the better part of a month training in my spare time while staring at them. "You're doing much better than I did." She giggled.

We spent the next ten minutes watching the sun come up. Alice and Arthur walked up the steps and she immediately growled at me. I turned my head and smiled. She had her gold bandanna folded into a headband.

"Hello." I said. I had mentally told the girls to pretend we didn't recognize them at first. "Welcome to the Recue Team training guild." I held out my right hand. "I'm Jack 'Goku' of Team Chaos, and I'm glad to be your greeter."

"Don't be an idiot Infernape." Alice said. I withdrew my hand.

"Okay, so much for turnabout." I said. "And here I thought that joke was good for both of us." I pointed at her and wagged my right index finger and leaned back slightly. "You could have at least played along with us."

"You know how to sense Aura." She snapped. "You knew who we were as we approached the guild. You should not treat our return so lightly Infernape." I winced.

"Jeeze, suck the energy right out of the air." I said. "You look so different on the outside but you're that angry Charmander on the inside." She narrowed her eyes, growled, and opened her mouth and the girls jumped aside as she fired a large Flamethrower while Arthur teleported to the top of the guild gate. I stood right in the fire and deflected it with my Aura. When the flames ended she seemed surprised.

"How are you still standing?" She asked. I smiled and held up my right hand with the palm facing her and charged an Aura Sphere. She flapped her wings and ran at me as fast as she could. I had used the time to ready five Agility attacks. I left a Double team double and made the sphere hover as I moved behind her while she charged at it. She stopped suddenly and turned to launch another Flamethrower and I moved the sphere into her back. She leaned forward and fired her attack at the ground which forced her rapidly onto her back. "You bastard!" She stood up and I taunted her by turning around and slapping my right butt cheek with my right hand. She growled and charged a new attack; Fire Blast. I dashed away, leaving some of my Aura energy with the double so she wouldn't track me if she knew how to sense the energy. The attack hit the double as I maneuvered half a foot behind her. I readied two Aura sphere and left a double with one and I held the other in my left palm. She turned and used a powerful Flamethrower on the double, causing the sphere to explode and her to get pushed back.

"You're getting better Alice." I said as I circled her. "You've actually managed to make me hit you twice. But it seems like those attacks are either stronger than I mean them to be, or you're not as strong as you promised you'd be." She roared and started tossing Flamethrowers around randomly where she thought I was. When she stopped I appeared in front of her and launched the sphere from my left hand into her stomach. She flew several feet and landed at the top of the stairs on her stomach. "I'm still holding back and the only attack you launched that hit me was deflected harmlessly. You promised to come back stronger than I was four months ago." I sighed. "You've really disappointed me." She growled and slammed her right fist into the ground and stood up with an angry roar. I smiled and used Bulk up and Calm mind. I wasn't about to let her win without a large battle that would summon everyone in the guild if I could help it. "There we go, that's the fiery Alice I remember!" She fired another Flamethrower and I rushed behind her. She started to turn when I shoved her into the center of the plateau. She stopped her attack and turned as I created dozens of doubles to surround her, each with enough Aura to confuse even Liz and Alex, and perhaps even Xatu.

"Show yourself you coward!" Alice roared. I smiled as each copy had a different expression and pose. I had my pipe in my mouth and was standing on my cloud above her. I looked at Arthur and he was watching me.

'I see through your trickery Infernape.' He sent. I smiled. 'I admired you once, but now I see that you were a false hero.'

'I don't know about that Arthur.' I returned. 'I help others for no reward, I protect them out of the goodness of my heart, and I take the jobs that others cannot.' I looked down to see Alice working out which copy was possibly me. I went down and refreshed them with new poses and created another ring of them closer to her before returning to my cloud. 'I'm just testing to see how mad I can get her before she tries to kill me in my sleep.' He looked like he was going to say something so I held up my hands. 'It's a metaphor.' He nodded. I looked down as Alice went to work on the copies. She had flapped her wings and was floating above the ground while spinning and using Flamethrower to destroy all of the doubles at once. Liz had used Light Screen and Barrier to deflect the flames. When Alice landed she shook her head and looked around before roaring and looking up to see me.

"Hello Flamethrower." I said quietly. I was proven right and she let the flames fly at me while I dashed away after sending the cloud north. I moved in front of her as she lowered her head. I stayed out of her vision and turned off my head flames.

"He truly was a coward." She muttered. "Running away when I was just getting started." I tapped her stomach and she gasped. She looked down as I gave her my Mach Punch with all four limbs to her torso. I counted off three hundred punches per limb before slamming all four limbs into her stomach. She went flying back and into the left post of the gate.

"Why does that combination always push them to the left?" I asked while looking at my fists. I looked up as Alice flew straight at me, actually taking me by surprise. She was dragging her arms along the ground when she suddenly stopped in front of me. With my eyes as wide as dinner plates she slammed both of her white glowing fists into my jaw, sending me flying over to the stairs before I grabbed the ground with my feet. I spat out a small amount of blood and wiped my lip. I looked up to see her hands glowing again. The right was ready in a Focus punch and the other was a Dynamic Punch. "Combining those attacks aren't going to win. And two Sky uppercuts won't stop me." She smiled and flapped her wings. I felt the world nearly stop as she flew at me at half speed. I spotted a seed shell on the ground. She had taken several Agility seeds while I was flying away from her. I focused further and used ten consecutive Agilities and she slowed to a near halt several yards away from me. Her roar sounded muffled while the girls looked at me with their hands over their mouths. Arthur had a large grin that seemed plastered on his face. I looked at Alice and walked over to her calmly. The world was nearly stopped to me as I picked up my pipe. It had fallen out of my mouth during the flight across the plateau and I dusted it off and returned it and let out a puff of smoke that stopped as soon as it left my lips. I did this for what felt like two minutes. There was a massive cloud around Alice and me so I stepped over to her and readied my Thunder Fang attack. "I'm sorry about this, but you made me drop my pipe. And you need to learn something from this encounter." I bit her arms and her tail three times each, renewing the electricity each bite. I then used two Aura sphere in front of her, but they too stopped as soon as I used them. She had moved forward three millimeters and I felt the strain of the speed catching up to me. My muscles were getting sore and I was losing my focus slowly so I finished my time frozen assault with a fully charged Aura sphere to the ground in front of her. "You'll learn that physical power is not the only way to fight. Or you'll be getting some help from me come that fateful day whether you want it or not." I groaned and stepped out of the cloud of smoke and some of it grabbed at me and pulled away from the mass. I sat in front of the cloud and let go of my focus.

"Goku!" The girls screamed together. A nearly deafening explosion threw Alice end over end right past me, missing by mere inches. I recoiled, having figured she'd either stop cold or be flung out of the other side.

"Holy geeze!" I yelled. Arthur suddenly teleported beside me and watched Alice skid to a halt partly down the stairs, her head and long neck just barely resting at the top. "That was not what I figured would happen." I stood up and felt my muscles tightening. I released the Bulk up and it eased somewhat, but it still hurt slightly.

"Alice!" Arthur yelled. He ran over to her and knelt on the stairs to look her over. "Are you okay Alice?"

"She'll be fine." I said. The girls ran over to me and began looking all over me, making me blush. "I'm fine girls, just a bit sore."

"But she hit you so hard." Jess said. I chuckled, partly for their concern and partly because nobody from the guild had been awakened by the blast. "Are you okay?" I nodded.

"I'm more worried about her." I said, pointing at Alice. "I may have used too much power on that last attack."

"What happened?" Liz asked. "You vanish and reappear here; Alice comes flying out of a gigantic Smokescreen, and the smoke itself. What happened?" I shrugged.

"I used Agility ten times." I explained. "The world came to a grinding halt and I created the screen for dramatic flair." I put the pipe in my pack. "I used nine Thunder Fangs, three on each arm, three on her tail, and then two weak Aura spheres and one fully charged Aura sphere on the ground five feet in front of her." I looked at the clearing smoke. "In retrospect, I should have quit at the Thunder Fangs."

"Yes, you should have." Arthur said angrily. "She's out cold, and she looks like you dropped the entire guild on her." I shrugged.

"What would you have me have done?" I asked. "Stand there and let her break every one of my ribs with her attacks? Let her crush my skull or rip my head off?" He looked surprised. "She aimed to do more than knock me out there Arthur, and you know it. She aimed to make sure that I could never fight again." He looked back at Alice. "Put yourself in my shoes. You could use all of my attacks and you see any other Charizard coming at you with those attacks with that intent and you see it. You use the Agility just like me. What would you do? Move behind her and wait for her to spot you again?"

"You didn't have to hit her so hard." He argued. I nodded.

"Yes, but she didn't need to try to kill me." I said.

"You wanted her to get stronger." He challenged. I shook my head.

"Let it go Arthur." Jess said. We all looked at her. "She hates him, you hate him, and she took the fight way too far." I nodded as a warm coppery taste filled my mouth. I spat some blood onto the ground away from the girls. "See? She was really trying to hurt him."

"He goaded her into that fight." He argued. "He taunted her." I moved in front of him and pressed my right index finger into his chest as his eyes went wide.

"I tried to greet her." I said. "I just wanted to make her feel welcome. She took it the wrong way and she let her anger get the better of her." I moved back two feet. "She needs to learn how to calm down. Xatu should have taught you both that, but she probably didn't care about that lesson."

"What's that supposed to mean?" He asked. I turned.

"If you need to ask, I'm afraid you're not welcome in our room." I said coldly. "I'll tell Chatot you're moving into another room until she isn't a threat to my team's well being." I felt an energy grabbing me and I used my Aura to disperse it. I turned to see Arthur looking surprised. "Try to attack me again and I'll do more than repel you." I held up my right hand to show him his spoons. He looked at his hands. "I'm not in one of my well known good moods." I tossed his spoons and he caught them.

"What are you?" He asked. I sighed.

"I'm someone with a lot of emotional baggage." I said. I turned to see Liz and Jess looking concernedly at me. "And we're taking the day off for emotional stress reasons."  
…

I sat on a rock on Xatu's mountain. Liz and Jess were on either side of me. Xatu was ten feet to my left, staring at the sky.

"So she is angrier than ever." Xatu said suddenly.

"Yes." I replied.

"She attacked Goku with no provocation." Liz said.

"She tried to hurt him real bad." Jess added.

"I tried to soothe her anger, but she pushed herself too hard." Xatu said. "She wanted to prove that she could beat you. She wants you to know that she is greater than you."

"She wants me to know that she loves me." I said. Liz and Jess looked away. "She hates me because she loves me and I haven't returned her feelings." I chuckled. "There's an old human saying that I think I can adapt to this." They all looked at me. "'Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.' That's what a human would say about a woman angry at something like this. Of course here it would be 'The impending disaster hath no fury like the chosen scorned.'" Xatu nodded.

"I have foreseen this possibility." He said. "You must find a way to calm her fury." He looked at the lake. "She is powerful enough to save this world. It is not about speed, it is not about strength, it is about her fire and her Aura." I nodded. "She has that in amounts more than what she needs. She has the power, but she now needs something else." I sighed.

"She needs someone to tell her that they love her." I said. Xatu nodded. "I'm not sure that's me though." He looked at me and I looked at the lake.

"I know Goku." He said. "It is Arthur." I nodded while the girls gasped.

"I had a feeling." I said. "She wants me, he wants her, and this makes him hate me." Xatu nodded. "He's grown much stronger, but he needs a different strength to say those three little words." I chuckled. "The three words most males have a problem saying."

"What words?" The girls asked. I chuckled and stood up. I turned to them and held out my hands.

"The words I should say to you both." I said. "I love you." They blushed for a moment before Jess put her left claw on my left palm. Liz blushed deeper and looked away. "Both of you." She looked at me and I smiled.

"I don't mind being a Beta Liz." Jess said. "I know he loved you first." She giggled and smiled as Liz put her right hand in mine. I closed my hands and they stood up.

"Your love may inspire Arthur to express his own." Xatu said. We looked at him. "I have a gift for you all." He hopped off of the rock he was standing on and let out a loud screech and it split in half. Inside was the rusty hilt of a sword. "This is the Aura Blade. In the hands of the chosen one, it will create a blade strong enough to protect the world." He pointed his right wing at it. "Give this to Alice after Arthur tells her of his love." The girls nodded and I let go of their hands. I walked over and knelt down. "It will work for you as well, so use it until the moment you must give it to her." I nodded and grabbed it. I pulled but it wouldn't budge. "Use your Aura Goku. This weapon is a powerful artifact that I cannot lift. Alice will not have this problem, but you must focus your soul to so much as lift it." I nodded and concentrated on my Aura.

"You can do it Goku." Jess said. Liz nodded and held her hands in front of her. I grabbed the hilt with my right hand and pulled gently and it came out of the ground. I held it in front of me and looked at it. It looked like the hilt of a Katana, but with a slot that looked like it could hold a blade. I felt a hand on my right shoulder and a claw on my left hand. I looked to see the girls looking at me with smiles. "How does it feel?" I looked at it and pointed the slot away from me.

"The blade will form in the color of your true Aura." Xatu said. "Yours is silver, but I do not know of Alice." I nodded. "Focus your Aura to the handle. The blade will form based on your spirit." I closed my eyes and focused. I saw the bright silver light flow down my arm and into the hilt. I opened my eyes and silver sparks flitted out of the slot. I focused a little more and the blade shot out so fast that the girls gasped. It had formed a twenty foot long Katana blade. "Magnificent." I nodded and let my focus drop slightly and it shrank to six feet. "You have great control." I felt my focus slipping slowly and the blade began flickering.

"But even the best could only maintain this for a few moments." I said. I let the focus drop almost completely and the blade vanished. "I could only make the blade during the swing in a fight." Xatu nodded.

"Only the Chosen can use this blade for long periods of time." He said. "Her Aura is so powerful that it makes the blade on its own, without her focus. When the time comes, she will use that blade to save the world." His eyes glowed and the rock fused. "Combusken has evolved." The girls gasped and I sighed. "He is now Blaziken. You have the power to beat him, but if you do it will prove futile. Someone stronger will take his place." He hopped onto the rock. "He is not evil, but he is misguided and he is adamant about collecting the artifacts." He looked at me. "He has the power to defeat the legendary guardians, and now he must. The disaster will come about, there is no stopping it, but if it is he that summons it, it will be easier for Alice to stop it."

"How does that come about?" I asked.

"He will realize his error and he will protect the Chosen and those helping her." He said. "He does not yet know about the sword, nor will he if he does not fight you or Alice. I have sent word to Chatot that when Blaziken starts stealing the artifacts to send Alice to incorrect locations." I pulled the mask out of my pack. "I shall take the mask." I nodded and let it go as he used his powers to grab it. "Blaziken will come here to fight me. I will let him win, and I will warn him so that he does not get suspicious." He set the mask in front of his rock. "Do not worry about my well being. I am much sturdier than you would believe." He looked at me and then at the lake. "Alice defeated me with single hits, as did Arthur. You fight differently, but even you can defeat me." He inhaled and exhaled deeply. "Blaziken will hit me three times, and they will hurt. I will warn him and the third hit will knock me unconscious." We nodded. "As he hits me, I will send you all an image of his face. Warn the Legendary Pokémon of his features. He must not realize our plans." I nodded. "You will fight him Goku. You will fight to a draw with your speed against his. In the last seconds, you will both fall to an unseen fighter. He will see his error and you will all be healed by another Pokémon that will join Team Chaos." I nodded again.

"We should be going Xatu." Liz said.

"Before you leave, I have one last gift for you all." He said. He turned and let out a loud squawk. A red staff with gold tips shot out of the ground in front of me, a blue ring floated out of the lake and hovered in front of Liz, and a stone cracked open to reveal a pair of necklaces, one gold and one onyx. "The staff is the staff of the Infernape king. Goku, you are his successor." I placed the hilt in my pack and grabbed the staff. "It can grow to the size of a thousand year old tree or shrink to the size of a toothpick." I nodded. "If you lose it, call to it with your mind and it will come to you from anywhere in the world."

"This should let me keep some distance between me and this disaster." I said. Xatu nodded.

"It is unbreakable and only you can wield it." He said. Liz grabbed the ring. "The ring will create a shield that only the strongest of attacks can break through." She slid it on her right index finger and smiled while Jess picked up the two necklaces. "The black necklace is yours Jessica." She looked at him for a moment before putting on her necklace. It shrank to fit perfectly around her neck. "It allows you to hide in shadows, even the faintest will do. The gold goes to Alex. It will allow her to see others' souls." I nodded.

"We'll pass along the news." I said. Xatu nodded and looked like he wanted to smile.

"I do hope you will come visit again sometime." He said. I nodded with a smile.

"If you ever want to talk to someone, I'll fly by." I said. "And when Blaziken beats you, I'll come and get you." He nodded.


	12. Pep talk, love shown, rivalry, ended?

**Okay, it's been a good long while since last I posted, let alone posted for Jack's Journey. I've been suffering from writer's block lately, and I'm struggling only for stories I **_**want**_** to do. I can get a few words in, but I can't stay going for that long. I'm trying, but it's slow going. Luckily I had this mostly finished, so I was able to get it done today.**

**I'm mostly done with the first of the requests, but I'm expecting a post it by the fifth of March, but I'll try for the twenty sixth. The second request **_**should**_** go faster, or so I hope.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to Pokémon or Pokémon Mystery Dungeon. By association I do not own the rights to Dragonball.  
…**

I sat on my coals and looked at the ceiling. The girls were sleeping and Team Order had been moved to the other side of the guild. We were told to avoid the morning meetings and we would receive the news on paper. It had been a week since Xatu had told us of the events that would happen. I relayed the information to Chatot and he made sure to have areas ready in advance to send Alice astray.

"Goku?" Liz asked sleepily. She was on my right and Jess had her bed moved closer to mine on my left. "Are you awake?" I looked over at her. She was looking at me with her eyes half open. "Do you think we can get Arthur to tell Alice how he feels?" I nodded. "Do you have any ideas?" I nodded again.

"A few." I replied. "I'll try them one after another." I blushed. "Even if I have to do something drastic to get his attention."  
…

I stretched and looked out from the top of the guild. The sun was coming up and I felt a strange presence. I looked down to the entrance and saw Arthur looking up at me.

'Infernape.' He sent. I moved in front of him and he stepped back.

"Yes Arthur?" I asked casually. He backed away further. "Still upset over my bad mood?" He nodded. "Sorry, but I had blood in my mouth, and that's not a pleasant taste." He nodded again. "So, what can I help you with? Alice is still in bed, and you haven't left her side for more than getting her meals."

"You knew about that?" He asked. I nodded.

"I see things a lot of others tend to overlook." I replied. "She trusts you only because she has to, but you would do anything for her." I pointed to his scar. "That's not just an old battle scar; you took a hit for her." He blushed and nodded.

"You have something that can heal her faster." He said. I shook my head. "You recovered from one of her strongest attacks in less than a day. If you didn't have some kind of stronger berry, what did you do?"

"I'm an Infernape." I said. "I've trained with Xatu. I've learned how to make basic healing salves and ointments." He nodded. "But her injuries were severe." I shook my head. "Let her know I'm sorry about overdoing it. You both kind of came back at a bad time." He stared at me intently. "You see, Liz fell in love with me before we went to Xatu's mountain, and Jess around the same time." He nodded. "I've come to return their feelings as of late." I rubbed my right elbow. "I realized it a while back, but that was a few weeks ago on a mission. If you and Alice hadn't arrived, I would have told them right then and there." He shook his head.

"Do you know a way to help Alice recover or not?" He asked. "She's really feeling down. The injuries alone were bad enough, but we trained twice as hard and twice as long as you. She's devastated that she could barely keep up with you." I nodded. "She barely eats, and I have to force her to do that much."

"Have you tried reminding her that she needs to beat me?" I asked. He nodded. "And that didn't work?" He nodded again. "Well, there are a few ways to help her."

"I'll do just about anything at this point." He said wearily. I smiled.

"Then do yourself a favor." I said. He looked at me and nodded. "Dig deep within yourself." He nodded again. "And grow a bigger pair." He stepped back. "You love her. I can see it, Liz and Jess see it, and Alice can't see it because she thinks she loves me." He blushed and looked away.

"I, I don't know what you're talking about." He muttered. "She's just my leader." I chuckled.

"Listen kid, you just need to let her know how you feel." I said. He looked at me and then away to his right with his left eye still on me. "She needs a reason to recover. She can see how Jess and Liz feel about me, and she's lonely." I sighed. "She's probably resigned to the thought that she can never have my love, so she needs to know that she c_an_ be loved." He looked at me. "Tell her you love her. She might just think you're joking to rile her up, but you need to get it off your chest."

"How could I ever tell her?" He asked weakly. "She's so much stronger than I am. She's saved my life dozens of times and the one time I saved her, I screwed it up." I shook my head.

"Then you owe her." I said. He nodded. "Tell her you love her Arthur." He shook his head. "Do you want me to stand by the door or something?" He blushed. "Look, I've got my reasons for you to tell her, and I can't say just yet." He nodded as I looked to my left, toward a forest. "Leave the door open and I'll walk by later. You make sure she's looking at that door when you tell her. Lean in and kiss her and I'll pretend to be hurt by it." He nodded and blushed deeper. "She'll see something she wants to see. She'll think I loved her and wanted to tell her, and she may return your feelings." He smiled slightly. "I'll run away from the door, but I'll walk calmly back to my room while you tell her." He nodded. "She's got a thing for displays of power, so when she believes you've beaten me at the game of love."

"She might fall for me." He finished. He looked at the ground. "It feels kind of fake though." I walked up to him and put my left hand on his right shoulder and he looked up.

"It won't be Arthur." I said. "You love her, and I think she loves you. She just doesn't see you because I'm in the way." I smiled. "When you kiss her and I run away, she'll finally see how you feel." I patted his shoulder lightly. "You'll finally get her to see what she's been ignoring while she was chasing my shadow." I winked. "You might even get lucky." He blushed.

"What does that mean?" He asked. I chuckled.

"It means you might get to mate with her." I said quietly. He blushed even deeper. "Hey, you love her, and that's part of love. You're an Alakazam now kid, it's about time you show her how strong you've gotten." He nodded as I stepped back. "You've come a long way from clinging to a pillar of rock trying to hide from Poochyena."

"Yeah, I guess I have." He said. He nodded. "You're right. I have gotten stronger." He nodded again and raised his hands. "I've got to show her how much stronger I've become. I did this for her, and I need her to know." He looked at me and smiled.

"Go get her kid." I said. I gave him a double thumbs up. "I'll be by after I square things with my girls." He nodded.  
…

I walked into the room and Jess was talking with Liz. I walked over to them silently and they looked at me. I looked around and couldn't see Alex.

"She's gone into town." Jess said. I nodded. "What's up Goku?" I looked at them.

"I've convinced Arthur to tell her." I said. "It took some serious pep talking, but he's all fired up." I looked behind me. "I've managed a half baked plan that should work." I looked at them and they nodded. "I walk by Team Order's conveniently open door. Arthur senses my presence and declares his love for her as I step into her view." I held out my arms in a mock surprised manner. "He leans in and kisses her passionately and I act devastated and run away from the door." I nodded and smiled. "She sees how much time she wasted trying to get me to love her and she finally sees what she's been missing."

"Wow, that's not a bad idea." Liz said. "Simple, but it just might work." Jess nodded.

"Yeah, as long as Arthur doesn't lose his nerve." She said. I nodded.

"If he does, we move to plan b." I said calmly. "If that doesn't work, we find a way to get him out of the guild and send him somewhere and we 'accidentally' get spotted by him while we mate." They blushed.

"Well, I want Alice to get back on her feet soon, but I wouldn't mind it coming to that." Liz said quietly. Jess nodded.  
…

I walked over to the door and saw that it was still open. I closed my eyes and saw his Aura kneeling by her. She was looking up at him.

'Arthur, I'm coming by.' I sent to him. 'Are you ready?'

'Yes Infernape.' He replied. I smiled and quickly banished it. 'Please hurry; I'm not sure how much longer I can wait. My nerves are all but gone.' I walked up to the door and looked in.

'Now.' I sent quickly.

"Alice, I, I have something I have to tell you." He said. Alice looked over at me as I put my right foot in the room. "I love you." I gasped and stepped back, pretending to look shocked. She looked from me to him and he kissed her deeply. After a minute, he broke the kiss and she looked surprised. I stepped back as she looked at me. I let a tear come from my right eye and I turned and ran down the hall. The tear was real, but it was from forcing a memory of Hariyama firing a Hyper Beam that collided with a Solar Beam from point blank range. The look on his face was just priceless. I walked down the hall and heard the door close. 'Thank you… Goku.' I smiled as Chatot hopped into my view.

"Goku, what is going on?" He asked. "I heard a door shut rather quickly."

"Well, Arthur just declared his love to Alice." I said happily. "It took some work, but they should both be a lot happier." I chuckled. "And I don't think Alice and I will be fighting each other anytime soon." He nodded.

"That is wonderful news." He said. "Now we can devote ourselves to figuring out how to plan for the event. Even with her at her best, with everything we can do, I wonder if we should all go to help." I shrugged.

"We go in as backup, letting her know of her destiny." I said thoughtfully. "We make sure she gets the whole way down the line, and hope for the best." He nodded. "In the end, I just hope that it will be enough. She's strong, and she could beat me if she just applied herself." I pulled my staff out from behind my right ear and looked at it. "I have to give her the sword Chatot. But does it mean I have to tell her about her destiny?" He shook his head.

"It's not for us to decide." He said. "We must let her discover it on her own. We must let the future come as it will, and that means that we may have to step back." I nodded and put the staff back. "But if she is strong enough, does that mean you will try to patch things up with her?" I nodded.

"I never wanted her to be angry at me." I said. "But it had to be done. Now I want her to know that I'm proud of her. I'll tell her later, and that's when I'll give her the blade." I chuckled. "At least, I will when I'm absolutely certain she won't try to kill me with it." He smiled as I looked over my right shoulder. I had heard a low growl, one of pleasure if my audio sensors were correct. "Well, I should get back to my team." He nodded and held his right wing out to me. I gently grabbed the feather tips and shook his wing. "Good night Chatot."  
…

I looked out from the top of the guild. Liz and Jess were in town getting supplies for tomorrow's jobs. I knew that Alice would be in a better mood, so she would likely recover some time during the day. I hoped that she would remain happy for long enough to let me tell her how proud I was of her, and longer still to let me give her the sword and put a bit of distance between us.

"Infernape!" Alice's voice called. I looked down at her and began preparing to run. She stared and I shrugged.

"What?" I called down. "I'm not in the mood for a rematch. It's too much of a good day."

"I don't want to fight you." She called. "I want to talk to you." She didn't seem angry. I looked down as she held her arms out. "Do I have to come up there?" I jumped down and landed in front of her. She stared as I stayed ready to move away. "You helped Arthur." I shrugged. "Why? Why help someone who loves me when you do?" I shrugged. "Well, you don't seem like you love me now."

"I helped him because he needed help." I said.

"So, you helped him kiss me, for what?" She asked.

"So you'd recover." I said. "You spent way too much time off duty. I know you've been beaten worse than that, because there were plenty of types on Xatu's mountain that beat me down pretty good." She smiled slightly. "So by Arthur finding the courage to confess his love to you, you finally recovered from our fight. And to be clear, I don't think your weak and I never did." She smirked.

"Yeah, right." She said. I held my hands up and shrugged.

"Think what you will." I said. "You managed to hold your own against me better than just about anyone I've ever faced recently. I can handle Hariyama, Vileplume, and two Beedrill at the same time on my own, and I barely even have to put any effort into the fight. You're strong, very strong, but you need to work on your temper." She scoffed. "The madder you get, the more often you'll make a mistake trying to get even. It's an important lesson to learn."

"Maybe you're right." She said, looking away slightly. "But how did you take those attacks I used?" She looked at me. "I've fought some incredibly powerful Pokémon who were strong against those attacks that buckled or just got knocked out in a single hit. How in the world did you take a double Sky Uppercut and still keep going?"

"I've trained to resist my weaknesses." I said. "I swam, I fought ground, flying, and psychic Pokémon, a few water Pokémon at the lake. I've managed to toughen up against all of my weaknesses." I stretched. "I managed to fight Xatu on an even level faster than the girls, and I learned not only how to sense and use Aura, but I can also use some psychic powers. All this, to be a better leader to my friends." She smiled slightly.

"You know, I've been thinking." She said. "You really did a lot to get under my skin. But, you said that you weren't taking new members, but when Jess left my team, you let her join yours. What's the deal there?" I laughed quietly and put my hands behind my head.

"She had a dream." I said. "She wanted to be part of a Rescue Team." She nodded with a small smile. "She told me that she was going to quit your team if she couldn't handle Xatu's training, so I told her that if she quit your team, she'd be joining my team. When she came back that day, she was starved, collapsed on the walk up to the guild. I split an apple into eight pieces, fed her, and took her to our room and put her on her bed. I got my dinner and hers and brought it to the room and fed her by hand. She could barely move her arms." She looked away. "I know you meant well, but a leader without a team is nothing more than someone talking to themselves." She snorted. "You need to quit pushing yourself so hard and start trying to enjoy the little things in life."

"Like you?" She asked.

"I try to enjoy the quiet when I'm not working." I said. "I had a rough start, believe it or not. Alex and Liz found me passed out in the forest near the clinic, and only a little while after I'd woke up there I had to help them fight off Hariyama. Thanks to a surprise attack, and our ganging up on him, we managed to beat him. It wasn't easy, and I was still recovering, but we managed to knock him out." I shrugged. "That's how Team Chaos officially got started."

"By you waking up and helping take down your personal nemesis?" She asked.

"I wouldn't call him my nemesis." I said. "More like, I don't know, my stalker I guess I'd call him." She laughed quietly. "Anyway, after that, we go talk to the girls' parents and join. Then we start taking jobs, and a few weeks in we go on that expedition to get our crystals. Then we went to the evolution cave. That was the very day we saved you from Hariyama and company." She looked away with a small, but barely visible blush. "First we defeated Hypno the Knockout, then we rescued an injured Golem, followed by saving Arthur from some Poochyena, and then we spotted your tail flame in the distance. I guessed that Hariyama, Vileplume, and the two Beedrill were there, and I was right."

"I'll never forget that day." She said. "You saved my life, told me I couldn't help you, and that was what sparked my anger toward you." She looked at me. "What was the real reason I couldn't join you? I know that it wasn't just that you weren't accepting new members. There's no way that was it."

"To be honest, the reason I gave you wasn't totally honest." I said. "But does it really matter at this point? You're a leader, and isn't that a little better than following my lead, and my dust trail?" She smirked. "I wouldn't worry about it. The past is the past, so there's no point thinking about it now."

"Yeah, I guess you're right about that." She said quietly. She looked away for a second, but then back to me. "So, are we good?" I held my right hand out to her and she took it in her own.

"We're good." I said. She grinned and squeezed my hand slightly, so I returned both the grin and gesture.


	13. Foe revealed, Xatu fought, memory lane

**Here we are, finally, chapter thirteen of Jack's Journey. Now, to warn in advance, there's not much action here. This is mostly filler and story progression, but I promise to try to get it to pick up later. However, this chapter heralds information regarding Jack. I'm sure you'll enjoy learning a bit about his past.**

**Secondly, I'd like to say that I may be a while until the next update. You may have noticed on my profile that I have a full request plate, and those do get priority, so long as the inspiration fountain flows strongly enough for it. If I can't work on it, then I give it a break and start writing for another fic.**

**Disclaimer: I, Lord Genesis Shadow, do hereby state that I do not own the rights to Pokémon or Pokémon Mystery Dungeon. I likely never will, but I trust the respective companies to keep up the good work.  
…**

I yawned as I stretched my back. The bed I was in was much more comfortable than usual, and with good reason. Opening my eyes, I looked to my right to see the beautiful psychic dancer beside me, my right arm under her and her shoulder held gently in my hand. She moved closer to me and draped her right arm across my chest. A left arm, ending in two sharp claws, moved over my chest as well, just under the gloved arm. We had gotten a larger bed since Chatot knew of our situation, and Alex requested that she be allowed to move to another room for the same reason, and to give us privacy. The girls and I shared a long and passion filled night in our new bed. It wasn't hot enough for me, but it also wasn't cold enough for Jess. The only one of us truly satisfied with the bed altogether was Liz, but it was made for her anyway. But it was warm enough for me to be comfortable and not be too hot for Jess at night. She didn't even sleep under the blanket. I inhaled quietly, enjoying the morning air coming through the window. A sudden sharp pain hit me in the back of my head, an image of the face of a Blaziken with a cracked beak, blackened in those spots, and dozens of scars marring what should have been the face of a proud warrior. I shot up in spite of myself and the girls quickly woke to look at me.

'Goku, I, I have been, defeated.' Xatu's voice said weakly. 'There are three, three months, remaining. The cataclysm is close, and you, you are all, ready.' Another image flashed of the Blaziken taking the mask, followed by one of him looking at Xatu. A final image of the scene showed him vanishing, only part of his right arm, holding the mask in his fist, visible. 'Wait five minutes, and come, to the mountain.' The girls put a hand on either of my shoulders as I tried to stop the cold sweat. Thankfully my head flame hadn't suddenly burst into existence. 'Wait the five minutes, to ensure that, he does not, see, you, co, ming…'

"Goku?" Liz asked.

"Are you okay?" Jess asked quietly.

"Xatu, has been defeated." I said quietly. I put my right hand to my head. The pain Xatu was in manifested in a painful headache. The pain in the back of my head had dulled to match the rest of my aching skull. "Oh man, he must be in a lot of pain."

"Are you sure you're okay?" Liz asked quietly. I let out a quiet sigh.

"His pain was partially transmitted through the psychic link." I said. "His pain gave me a headache." They let go of my shoulders. A small timer counted down from four minutes and I moved to the end of the bed. "I need to get ready to leave. I'll be back with Xatu." I looked at Jess. "Go to the clinic and get Chansey and Blissey." She nodded and moved her legs over the edge as I looked at Liz. "Wake Chatot and Wigglytuff, but nobody else. They should know." She nodded as I set my feet on the ground, my head throbbing briefly.

"What are you going to do?" Jess asked.

"First, I'm going to get rid of this headache, and then I have to wait." I said. "Three minutes starting now, and then I start my five minute flight toward the mountain. If I go now, there is a chance Blaziken might spot me. He'll know the rumors of my cloud." They nodded as I activated a system to deliver the proper medicine to end the slowly throbbing headache. I jumped up to the window and spotted the cloud, higher up than most Pokémon could see. I zoomed in and brought up a compass as my head finally stopped hurting, and I stopped the medicine to keep from overdoing it. 'Okay, two and a half minutes. This is going to be a long two and a half minutes.' I looked at the mountain in the distance, a long distance, but to me it looked like I was standing only a few hundred yards from the base. The timer ticked down slower than I ever thought it should, but I was confident that I'd be okay. 'For crying out loud, come on. Dialga, could you please make these next ninety seconds pass by a bit faster?' I closed my eyes and the timer seemed to move even _slower_, as if Dialga had decided to be a prankster in Xatu's moment of weakness. The ancient bird was clearly not going to last more than an hour without help. We'd need the egg of a Blissey to stabilize him. The last five seconds went by a bit faster, so at three I fell forward, whistling to summon my golden cloud. It shot past me and I flipped to land on it. 'Where were you when I had to run away back then?' I tilted the cloud toward the mountain and began praying that Blaziken wouldn't suddenly turn back and spot me. 'Come on, come on!' I leaned forward and flew just a little bit faster. I growled at my speed. 'Come on, please!' I focused my Aura ahead of me and created a slipstream and moved only slightly faster. My estimated time was two minutes. 'Son of a… This is too much.' I looked at the peak and zoomed in on a green speck, Xatu's unconscious form. There was a bit of blood, like it had dripped from his mouth after a bad punch to the stomach. He was lying on his left side, facing away, but I could see the blood. 'Damn it, I'm coming Master Xatu. Hang on.'  
…

Xatu had been stabilized, just as I'd hoped. I had to lie to the rest of the guild, telling them that he'd been conscious just long enough to describe his attacker, but everyone, including Alice, knew what our misguided enemy looked like. The girls had taken it hard, but not as hard as I had taken it. During our training, he had taught me much, taking more time for me than the others. In teaching me to control my Aura, he had repeatedly called me the Monferno Prince, and that someday perhaps I'd be the next Infernape King. He hadn't told me the story, and I didn't bother asking about it when I had plenty of chances. There were books, but I figured Xatu would tell me when the time was right. But now, I was finally the new Infernape King. If any Infernape, Monferno, Chimchar, even a Mankey or a Primeape, saw me with the staff, they would follow any order I gave them. I could lead an army of monkey Pokémon, perhaps even Aipom, Ambipom, Slakoth, Vigroth, and Slaking.

I set my back against the wall as the others went about their day. Nobody but those trained by Xatu, with the exception of Wigglytuff and Chatot, knew who he truly was. They thought he was just a fortune teller. I closed my eyes as I waited for the girls. Alex was with Liz getting food and supplies and Jess was selecting missions for the day. I told her to take her time and talk to the rest of the guild to see how everyone was doing, maybe even talk to Arthur. My mind suddenly turned back to one of the most trying days of my training.  
…

_I ran forward and tried to hit Xatu, using my speed to my advantage. He dodged effortlessly though and I groaned as he caught my foot in his talon and tossed me toward the lake again. I pointed my body to him and my feet away. This was one of my favorite moves. I fired a focused burst of Aura from my feet and shot back at him like a missile. His eyes went wide as I grinned. He stepped to his left and I held out my arm, catching him in the stomach and carrying him with me until I turned and landed on him, skidding us under my heavier than average frame._

"_You're getting better, young prince." He groaned. I pushed my body up slightly and spun, tossing him into the rock he always stood on. He launched off of it and stopped in midair, righting himself with a thought. He was powerful in close quarters combat, mostly using his talons to kick his foes away instead of his wings. "But I doubt today is the day you will leave my mountain."_

"_I wouldn't leave without my team anyway." I said, standing up. I cracked my neck and dropped back into my fighting stance, letting my arms hang at my side, my shoulders slumping slightly, and my body going loose. It was a style I picked up in my human life, centered around avoiding attacks instead of blocking them. If I had to block, I would counterattack to make up for it. Xatu's style was different. He'd only use his psychic powers once per battle offensively, and once defensively. He'd done both in short order, likely the first time to avoid my Aura enhanced punch. The second time because he didn't want me to get too close while he tried to manually recover. "After all, you've managed to knock them both for a loop, so now it's up to me to show that you can in fact be beaten at all." He laughed while I waited. After a moment of his laughter, I could swear he was smiling, though it was physically impossible. His eyes betrayed a bit of not only joy, but pride. He wouldn't look into the future when fighting us. He told us that he liked to be surprised in situations like this. He closed his eyes for a fraction of a second and I shot forward, having readied four Agility attacks. By the time his eyes opened, they shot open wider than ever. I covered my body with my Aura, further speeding up my attack, and when I hit him he went flying toward the lake. He skipped once before leaving a huge spike of water that formed kind of a mountain peak of water before crashing down on top of him. I turned and threw a punch, only to have it caught by his right foot. We stayed motionless for a moment before he let go. I dashed away, leaving the copy behind. He'd used Teleport, meaning that now we were fighting seriously. My Aura covered my body, and it flickered as he tried to use Psychic on me. I opened my mouth and he winced, but instead of blasting him with flames, I jumped forward and head butted him. He fell to the ground and I stumbled back, grabbing my head. In the time he'd closed his eyes, he'd readied a Zen Headbutt to counter my normal one. He closed his eyes so that I wouldn't see the glow normally visible just before the attack. He knew I'd spot it, and end up changing my attack. 'He knew I was bluffing that attack. He was counting on me thinking that he was going to throw up a barrier. So, it could be right to think that if I open my mouth again, he probably will throw the barrier in the way.' I jumped up with my hand on my forehead as my eyes opened. He opened his eyes and he looked up at me, wincing again. I saw the shimmer of the barrier, but I could tell he had also readied the Zen Headbutt again. I smiled when I landed, but he flung his wings out and I just barely avoided his talons again._

"_You're getting good Goku, but I don't think you are ready." He said as he stood up. He swung his legs, but I'd put a double in the way seconds before he got up. I'd moved behind him and when the double vanished from his attack I struck with a powerful Mach Punch. With the Agility, I struck him at least fifty times per second, and with all four limbs going, that added up to two hundred hits per second. I stayed with him in a jump and he screeched in slow motion as he went down, now visibly unconscious. I landed in front of him on my hands and he groaned as I stood on my hands._

"_Well, I'd say that I've won." I said. "And here you thought that I wasn't ready." I turned and jumped to my feet and stretched, though my victory was short lived as a muscle decided to voice that I'd overdone it on my Mach Punching again. Xatu groaned and stood up while I crossed my arms carefully._

"_You are right." He said. "You have indeed become stronger than I guessed. You must be holding back during your training."_

"_But I'll keep training with the girls." I said. "After all, I do the work they do because we're all trying to get stronger."  
…_

I opened my eyes and thought about the pride in his voice when he told me that I was stronger than he guessed. I sometimes wondered why he'd teleport out of the way of the water, but not my other attacks. Maybe he hadn't underestimated me. Maybe he figured it was time for me to just get on with the plan to make Alice train instead. The girls were strong, but the way they won was through use of terrain, and I knew for a fact that Xatu had to be more aware of his surroundings. With his powers of observation and skill from his advanced age, there should have been more of a fight each time. He said that we'd just gotten too fast and strong for him, but now I wondered even more.

'Maybe I'm just being paranoid.' I thought. 'Maybe…' I shrugged. 'No, he probably just taught us all he could and wanted us to come back here.' I sighed and looked to see that Jess was talking to Chatot. That would be a long conversation. I focused my ears on their conversation.

"So, how is he doing Chatot?" She asked. "With the blood we saw on him, he's probably not doing too good."

"He'll be fine." Chatot said. "The egg of Nurse Blissey has healed him, and when he wakes up he will be feeling rather pleasant for a while." He laughed quietly. "Do not underestimate him Jess. He may be old, but he is surprisingly strong. He probably _allowed_ himself to be injured like that so that his assailant would leave and think he was too weak." I smiled slightly.

'I hope that's the case.' I thought. 'Because if Blaziken did that damage when Xatu was at his best, then I'll be in for one hell of a fight, even with the staff.'

"In any case, Xatu is probably going to wake up by the time you and the others return." He said. "Probably just a little bit before. After all, as fast as Team Chaos is, there is not a chance in the world you wouldn't be back in time to see him in a good mood." She blushed slightly.

"What would _that_ look like?" She asked. "I only got yelled at when I was with Team Order, and I may have seen him acting nice before, but it was pretty serious so it felt somewhat forced." Chatot put his right wing tip to his beak.

"Well, that is a good question." He said. "Perhaps you could ask Goku, providing he's not off in his own little world right now." She giggled and I closed my eyes as she looked over at me. "Which reminds me. How are your new sleeping arrangements? I trust they are satisfactory."

"Oh, they are." She said. "The bed is a bit warmer than I'm used to, and I bet it's a bit cool compared to his coals, but we can't complain. It's nice and cozy." I smirked.

'Well, I guess it'd be rude to listen in on this.' I thought. I tuned my ears back to normal and began thinking of my old life. 'I've come a long way since the accident.'  
…

_That day I wore my favorite black army vest over my favorite black shirt, my red steel rimmed prescription glasses, as well as my green cargo pants and steel toe boots, and my black fingerless biking gloves. I was with my best friend Joe. I was five feet six inches tall, one hundred and ten pounds, fifteen years old. With my fiery red hair and blazing red eyes, coupled with my pale skin, it's a wonder how I'm often overlooked unless I'm in trouble._

_Joe wore his usual sleeveless white shirt, tan shorts, and white running shoes. He was five foot nine, one hundred and forty pounds, and he was seventeen. He was nice enough to let me hang with him and his friends, a good bunch of guys just looking to have fun, and they were all older than I was. I was grateful that they wanted me to hang out with them. Mostly they just wanted me to help with their homework, but they took a liking to me and started calling me the 'new guy' in the group, a permanent member of 'the knuckleheads', a name they got from a teacher when they'd played a stupid prank._

"_Hey, could you kids bring those buckets of nails up here?!" A man yelled. I looked up and saw him on the fifth floor of the building. I looked at Joe and he shrugged and looked up._

"_Ten bucks?" He called._

"_Done!" The man yelled down. Joe held up his hand and I high fived him._

"_Smooth move Joe." I said with a smirk. I grabbed a bucket and lifted it, immediately finding it heavier than it looked. He picked up another while I picked up a third. We walked in and went up in the elevator to the fifth floor and the man was waiting._

"_Okay, those go over there." He said. He pointed to a spot while he pulled out his wallet. I set the buckets down while Joe collected the money. He walked over to me and handed me a five while he set his bucket down. "Say, how would you two like to make some more money?" We looked at him. "There are a couple of toolboxes over there." He pointed. "And I need the red one taken down one floor and given to a guy in a gray hardhat, and the yellow one brought to me." We looked at each other. "There's another ten bucks in it for you when you're done."_

"_Deal." Joe said. I shrugged and walked beside Joe to the area we were told to go to. "This is the easiest twenty bucks we've ever made."_

"_Yup." I said. "So, what do we do with the money?" He shrugged as we looked for the boxes._

"_Arcade?" He suggested._

"_I was thinking I'd save my money." I said. He looked at me as I shrugged. "I need a new backpack, and it couldn't hurt to save a bit to plan ahead." He shrugged and looked behind a box. "Find 'em?" He shook his head as I went over to another spot. "Here they are." I grabbed the red one. "Think we can make some more money from the other guys here? As long as they don't mind us, I'm sure we can make like fifty each easy."_

"_Hey, yeah, great idea." He said. He grabbed the yellow box. "You know, I was thinking twenty bucks would be nice, but fifty, think of what we can do with that. Save like thirty, and spend twenty at the arcade." I laughed as we walked. "What do you say?"_

"_Well, I'm still saving." I said. "But yeah, ten at the arcade for me." He put his hand on my back and laughed._

"_Man, if I didn't have you as my friend, you'd be invisible." He said. I laughed as we walked on. "So, you head down and find the other guy while I deliver this." I nodded and turned away to the elevator. I waited for it to open and I tapped my right foot. I spotted an unattended red hardhat and a man was looking at me. He nodded and I grabbed it. I put it on and smiled._

'_Okay, this should be easy money.' I thought. The door opened and I stepped in, pressing the button for the fourth floor. It went down slowly, but it wasn't far. When the door opened again I walked out and immediately saw a worker looking around. He wore a gray hardhat and I walked over to him, tapping his right shoulder. He looked back as I held out his toolbox. "Looking for this?" He nodded and took it._

"_Thanks kid." He said. "Some yoyo left the cement in that mixer over there overnight, and now it's up to _me_ to get the stupid thing working again." He shook his head. "I swear, Jimmy owes me for this one." He laughed and walked over to the mixer while I looked around. I stepped over to the edge and saw a line descend with five dollars held with a clothespin._

"_Here's your half partner." Joe said. I grabbed it and looked up at him. "Nice hat." I laughed as he pulled the line back. He always kept some, and he kept a clothespin just in case of exactly the purpose of lowering money or something like that to someone. I stretched and looked out. "Nice view eh?"_

"_Yeah, yeah it is." I said. "Maybe one day we can get a job working here for real." He laughed and I inhaled._

"_Keep working hard in school and you can." A man said. "Now be careful at the edge. We'll let you help us with errands if you're careful."_

"_You got it sir." Joe said. I stepped back and stretched my back._

"_Fire in the hole!" A man yelled. I turned and saw the man with the gray hardhat running away from the mixer as he tossed a red stick into it. But the lid closed and I turned to run behind something when it went off. The force of the blast knocked me off balance and I fell off the edge._

"_Jack!" Joe yelled. I felt like the world was in slow motion. I fell toward a large pile of nails and I stared, open mouthed and arms flailing, as it drew closer. I turned so that my back faced the ground and I saw people looking down from the floors. It was then that I realized that maybe I should have grabbed the yellow box, because Joe would have headed up after delivering the red one instead of looking out at the city. My back hit the spikes and I felt searing pain shooting up my spine, probably from where the nails pierced my back. I coughed up something warm and coppery, my blood, as everything started getting dark. "Jack!"  
…_

"Jack!" Jess said loudly. I opened my eyes as she stared. "Are you okay?"

"Just, thinking." I said. A small counter told me that I'd dozed off in the middle of my trip down memory lane. I yawned quietly and stood up. "So, we're ready?"

"The others are waiting at the entrance." She said. I stepped from the wall and turned as she took my hand. I smiled and carefully gripped her claws. "What were you thinking about?"

"Just remembering an old friend." I said. "And, well, a very interesting day."


	14. A mission, a complication, another Guild

**How long has it been since I've updated Jack's Journey? Well, long enough. I've been a little hard pressed to work on this, mostly due to lack of inspiration, but I should be able to rectify that soon. And this chapter is a bit long by my standards, and I hope that makes up for how long it took to get it finished. I also hope to have a few chapters up in the near future, but honestly I've not even started on fifteen yet.**

**Also, it's always been a practice, but I never really put it into my profile, nor do I think I will in the near future, to accept original characters, OCs, if I like them enough. If you'd like to create a character to add to the story, please feel free to do so. I will give proper thanks with each use of the character of course. However, there is a procedure to be followed, or I won't be able to add them due to lack of information. The procedure is to use my OC profile system, located on my Profile page. Failure to use this system will result in me copying and pasting it in a PM to you the first time, whereupon you should copy and paste that to the reply and fill it out. Failure to respond or failure to fill it out will result in your character not being added. I will not budge on this, barring special cases where I will **_**help**_**, so don't try. Remember, if you want a character, don't just ask in a review. As much as I like getting reviews, I'd rather you not waste time asking if you can add someone in a review, as it is much easier to just go to my Profile page, accessible by clicking on the name by the story name, and drop me a line in the form of a PM.**

**Disclaimer: I, Lord Genesis Shadow, do hereby state that I do not own the rights to Pokémon or Pokémon Mystery Dungeon.  
…**

I walked behind Jess as we looked for our last mission mark of the day. We were to search for an Absol that had been wounded by a few Mightyena and rescue him. He had been challenged by the leader but it was an ambush. He was now hiding, trying to keep from being found again. The others had split off to cover more ground. The odds of any real danger were slim, but we were being careful just in case.

"Jack?" Jess asked. I looked at her. "Can I, ask you something?"

"Of course." I said. She slowed down slightly and walked closer.

"You, told the others about, your past." She said. "I was wondering, if maybe you could, tell me a little." I put my hand on her shoulder as she looked up at me. I smiled.

"What would you like to know?" I asked. She blushed.

"Well, what about, your being an cyborg?" She said. "Like, what happened right after you were in the accident?" I kept looking and she moved a hand to mine.

"Well, the first few weeks after the surgery were probably the most eventful." I said. "The doctors that made me this way, the cyborg part anyway, they ran quite a few tests. They made sure my brain was functioning right, adjusting properly to all of the new parts." I raised my free hand and flexed my fingers a few times. "New joints, new bones, new organs for the most part."

"For the most part?" She asked. I smirked and winked at her, making her blush and smile slightly. "Oh, right." She smiled a bit more as we looked around.

"So, after all of those tests they had some others." I continued. "Physical tests. It took me six days to get used to standing up and balancing properly, three weeks to walk, and another month to run." She nodded. "So many times I'd just fall flat on my face, but I'd pretend I didn't mind."

"Why did you pretend?" She asked. "They saved you, didn't they?"

"They did, but they never asked me if I wanted to be made this way." I replied. "I'm grateful, but they decided that since they had given me my life back I owed them that life. They wanted me to be a weapon for their own purposes." I made a fist. "So, one day during an outdoor test of my strength, I decided to make my escape. The gate wasn't very well guarded so I waited. They told me to run as fast as I could for as long as I could. During my run I jumped over the divider, broke through a few barriers, and flew past the gate guards. They hadn't planned on me running so they didn't do anything to stop me." She nodded as I lowered my hand. "As I ran through the city, I realized that I didn't recognize anything. But after a few days of close calls I managed to get on a bus to my old town. As soon as I get back I go to see a friend and, to say that he was surprised to see me, would be an understatement."

"What did he say?" She asked.

"Well, he told me to leave." I said. "I tried to explain but he kept saying that there was no way I was me. I kept trying to tell him and he said again and again that I was someone else, that his friend was dead and long gone. As I walk away, I start feeling sad, dizzy, sick, and I just had to get away." I sighed. "I just started running. I didn't care where I went, I just did. I ran for days until I couldn't run anymore. Finally those men from the lab caught up though, when I was too tired to keep moving."

"Did you fight back?" She asked. I nodded.

"Oh, I fought back alright." I said. "I didn't care how tired I was, I just had to fight them. They kept trying to wear me down but I kept fighting back. Eventually they got so fed up trying that they decided to hit me with everything they had left." I sighed. "They ended up hitting me with a very large truck, which pushed me into a building." She gasped. "I blacked out. The next thing I know I feel weightless, and I thought I was dead. But a long time passes, maybe a few hours, and I hear voices, concerned voices. It was Liz and Alex."

"Wow." She said. "So, those people, do you think they were, confused when they couldn't find you?" I laughed.

"I don't really know." I said. "Honestly, I hadn't thought much about my old life until recently." I smiled. "But, I don't really think I'm too worried about that life." I looked at her as she smiled slightly. "After all, now I have you and Liz. I've got two women in my life I don't want to live without." She smiled wider and moved closer to me. I heard a quiet whimper and looked around. "Of course, we should be paying attention."

"Right." She said. "Over there." I looked at her as she pointed. "I've been leading us toward a noise for the last few minutes, but I'm not sure exactly where it's coming from." I walked toward it with her and began looking toward the source. "Is it the Absol?"

"Yes." I said. "The voice matches, though it's faint. Either he's far away from us or he's really weak." I heard it again and looked at the area. "There." I pointed and saw a bit of white moving slowly out of view before hearing a quiet growl. "Mightyena. There are…" I listened closely and picked out several. "Ten, with a dozen Poochyena as well. Absol must have really done something to them to make them that mad." I focused for a moment and sent out a specific emotion from a memory. It would tell Liz to hurry over to where we were. "I'll go in high. Stay low and prepare to get Absol out."

"Just remember to give them a _warm_ reception." She said. I smirked.

"I'll try." I said. I kissed her forehead and jumped onto a tree as she giggled. "Though, I don't mind if you're a little _cold_!" She ran over to Absol as I looked for the Mightyena. I whistled and they looked up at me as the sound of Absol being relocated to the Guild came from behind me. "So, chasing an injured Absol are we?"

"Do not stand in our way Rescue Guild!" The leader called. I tilted my head. 'Wild' Pokémon rarely spoke fluently, apart from leaders, but I hadn't heard of any packs aware of the Guild's business.

"You know where we're from?" I asked. "Unusual."

"I don't need to explain myself to you!" He called.

"No, but you do need to leave." I called. "Absol is now at the Guild and my friends are on their way."

"Damn it, that Absol tried to convince my daughter to leave the pack!" He yelled. "I can't find her now! Where is she!" I shrugged.

"Tell you what, we'll offer to help find her." I said. Jess landed beside me and I sensed Liz and Alex nearby. The leader just growled at me. "I said we'll offer. That doesn't mean we'll do something that bothers you." He growled louder. "If you need our help, send a rescue request. Someone will help, but if you want us, send for Team Chaos." Jess grabbed my arm and I turned, quickly scooping her up and making her laugh as I jumped down. I felt Liz and Alex teleport, but Liz teleported to me and Jess. She grabbed us and teleported us back to the Guild entrance. Absol and the others we helped were inside, or so I would have guessed. Absol was limping out as I set Jess down. "Are you okay?" He shook his head and looked at us.

"My mate, she, she needs me." He groaned. "She was, kidnapped by a, a really mad, Hariyama." I put my hand to my head. "What? Is, is she hurt?"

"No, but I'm getting really tired of hitting that guy." I said. I lowered my hand held it out. "I guess we're headed back out in a bit. We just need to grab some healing items for your mate."

"I want to go with you." He said. He took a step and stumbled.

"You need to rest." I said. "Hariyama is a fighting type, and he has his sister, a Vileplume, and a pair of Beedrill helping him. They didn't kidnap your mate to get to you. They want us."

"You?" He asked. "Why?"

"Where to start?" I asked nonchalantly. I shrugged. "We've defeated those four numbskulls more times than we care to count." The girls nodded. "Liz, Alex, and I took down Hariyama before we formed Team Chaos, and later we took down Vileplume and her Beedrill. Finally we took them down together a great deal of times. In every encounter we got stronger by leaps and bounds, while they had stumbles and trips." He groaned and I walked over and knelt by him. "We have the advantages of types, as well as speed and brains. You're smart and fast, but there's no way you'll have any luck as you are now." I put my hand on his shoulder and he looked at me. "We'll go look, but the Mightyena are angry. They'll be on their own path to finding Hariyama and the rest." He nodded and I stood up. "Go back inside, talk to Chatot and let him know we'll be back a little late for dinner, if we come back at all. Stay here until we get back with her." He nodded and stood up.

"Thank you." He said. "I, we can't ever pay you back for this." I smiled as I stepped back to the girls.

"Don't worry about it." I said. Alex teleported inside and I turned to Liz. "Okay, when we get in, I'm going to take off and try to sniff out the trail. Try to isolate Hariyama's anger or joy, whatever feels out of place." She nodded. "Jess, you're with me."

"Got it." She said. Alex reappeared with four packs of Sitrus berries and handed them out.

"Alex, stay with Liz and seek out anything out of place you can sense." I said.

"Got it." She said.

"We haven't seen them in a while." I said. "They might be stronger, or they might have backup. I've heard that they have connections somewhere, but nothing more than that." They nodded as Liz put her hand on my shoulder and Jess took her free hand.

"Wait, before you go." Absol said. I looked back. "She's wearing a yellow ribbon on her right ankle, I hope. I gave it to her. Tell her that I'm waiting for her." I nodded.

"Don't worry." I said. "She'll be safe with us. We'll send her back right away, and then we'll deal with the four fools of the forest." We teleported and looked around. We weren't too far from where we started. "Okay, Jess, we're going this way." I pointed to the east path.

"We'll handle west." Liz said. "Be careful." I nodded and turned to the path. "I've got a bad feeling about this."

"Watch for traps and take it slow." I said. "They're learning by trial and error. In the time we haven't seen them, there's no telling just how much stronger they might be."  
…

Ten minutes later Jess and I had to split up further to cover more ground. She was to stay hidden and send out a message to everyone if she spotted them, but I was hoping to be the first to find them. I had a message to tell the lot of them this time around.

'I can't believe they're doing this now.' I thought. 'Why would they kidnap an innocent bystander to get to us?' I thought of dozens of things but nothing made sense, at first. 'Maybe it's not us they're after. The Mightyena will try to get her back, no matter what, but if they kidnapped her to get to them, to get them to attack us, then it makes some level of sense. Or other things are possible.' I walked near a clearing and heard a muffled bark and I pressed myself against a tree before looking out. 'There you are.'

"Just hold still!" Vileplume yelled. "We won't do anything. We're just waiting for your daddy to show up. We've got a big surprise for him."

"Yeah." Hariyama said. "With the help of your pack we can finally get into our leader's good books again, and she'll give us enough Joy Seeds to triple our power." I walked out and the Beedrill buzzed loudly.

"There!" One called.

"Infernape with scarf!" The other said quickly. Hariyama and Vileplume looked over at me as I crossed my arms.

"So, that's your plan?" I asked. I sent the message and the girls responded with times of a few minutes to sneak up and save the Mightyena. I saw that she still had the yellow ribbon. "Joy Seeds." They stepped, and buzzed, back a little, away from their hostage. "You know, they don't make you stronger by much. Minimal strength is all you'll gain with them. You'd be better off training with Marowak legitimately." Hariyama growled as I yawned. "You know, thanks to this stunt, you've managed to get her pack to attack an innocent Absol with the thought that he encouraged her to run away. You cause a lot of pain and damage wherever you go, and I'm honestly getting sick and tired of it."

"You've humiliated us every time we've ever found you!" He yelled.

"Because you tried to kidnap me." I said. "I guess I was hurt and out cold, and you wanted to capture me, but had to get some rope or something. Whatever you were planning to do to me, I had every right to protect myself, and my friends, and now my mates." They looked at each other. "Now either give up or you'll end up making the worst mistakes you could ever make." I took a step and they stepped back. "Now, we've proven that each one of us can easily knock you around like leaves in a whirlwind, so don't be idiots and keep trying to beat us! What do you think would happen if you harmed my mates? How angry do you think I'd be? I hold back to keep from badly hurting you, as do the girls." I tapped my forehead. "What do you _think_ will happen if you do manage to get strong enough to hurt the girls?"

"We, we…" Hariyama said.

"You hurt, my babies." Vileplume said.

"You were going to kill a Metapod to feed them." I replied. "Go for better natural fertilizer and we wouldn't have had to hurt them." She put her hand to her mouth as my flame started burning a little more, mostly to spook them. "Now, if you'd try things our way, helping others instead of being a bunch of fools, maybe you'd become stronger, instead of my punching bags. And we probably wouldn't have to fight you." I took a step and heard wings flapping, so I looked back to see a Honchkrow.

"But then I wouldn't get my little trinkets and toys." She said. "A strong Mightyena fem would fetch a high price for a bodyguard, or perhaps for breeding purposes, maybe even both." She had a strange air that made me cautious. She wasn't too strong, or so I guessed. I activated a few subroutines and some special systems just to be safe. A quick scan said that she was stronger than she looked. I was wrong. "You've been a thorn in my side for some time, Goku. What would it take to get you to leave my operations alone? Ten thousand, twenty thousand Poké? How about fifty thousand apiece for your whole team? More than fair for both sides." I saw a lot of eyes hiding in the trees, Murkrow and a few Fearow among them.

"I take it you know where my girls are." I said.

"All but that new girl, Jessica, was it?" She asked. "She's very good. She knew I was looking for her, and now she's hiding. Agility I'd say." I smirked.

"Keep a watch over your eggs if she's mad at you." I said. She just laughed quietly. She raised a wing and three Murkrow flew past me and I turned to see them pushing Jess away from the Mightyena.

"Keep a better eye on our prisoner Hariyama." She said calmly. I looked at her as Jess stepped back and returned to hiding. "You know, I often wonder why I pay you four. You haven't taken a job since you developed this, need, to defeat these four. Even Jessica can defeat all four of you effortlessly, and she is, and I mean no offense to you Mr. Goku, the weakest member of the team." She laughed again. "No offense to you either Jessica, wherever you are."

"M, Miss Honchkrow, we can win, if you just let us have the seeds." Vileplume said. "We'll beat them, and they'll be worth, millions! This Infernape, can use Psychic, and other attacks he shouldn't be able to use!" She flapped her wings, reminding me of Chatot for some reason.

"And you expect to capture him and break his will?" She asked sternly. "Use your tiny brains, and think for once in your life. He's far too strong to capture and use. Perhaps defeat, but he is far too strong of will to ever become a slave. It is an insult to even dream such a thing." I heard them step back and I crossed my arms to turn to her. Even from behind, the four she addressed were no danger to me.

"I'll take that as a compliment." I said. "But there is no amount of Poké you can pay Team Chaos to get us to overlook your activities. Keep them up and we will find a way to locate each and every trade, and we'll save those you've captured." She cleared her throat and I held up my right hand. "Now, it's nice to know you can be so generous when you want to be, seriously, but to us, the job is more important than any amount of money you could ever give us." I returned the arm to the crossed position. "If you want this Mightyena, we're ready to fight you all off, and if you know us as well as I expect you do, then you know how well this will turn out. So, let's skip the fighting this time, and you just take your Fearow and Murkrow, and get the flock out of here." She laughed quietly but I was dead serious. "You know I wouldn't joke about this." She stopped and looked at me, glaring, so I just stood there, my tail whipping slowly behind me as my flames grew steadily hotter. "Leave now, and we won't have to fight you. I believe you know what we're capable of, or you may think you do, at least." I could swear that she was smiling.

"Fine." She said. "It is quite clear that wherever you go, you will interrupt my business." She let out a quick caw and her Murkrow flew away, as did the Fearow and several dozen Spearow. "You're far too fast for them, and much too dangerous for the four behind you. Speaking of." She walked forward and I stepped aside calmly as Jess, Liz, and Alex stepped out from their hiding places. She looked at Hariyama and the others. "Badges please." They pulled out strange badges, with dark amethyst gems. They were like inverted Rescue Guild badges. She took the badges and put them in a pouch under her right wing. "You're fired."

"What?" They asked together.

"You heard me." She said as she turned and walked past me. "You four, are fired, canned, out of a job." I heard a thud and looked to see Hariyama on his knees, his eyes wide and filled with confusion and anger as Jess undid the bindings on Mightyena. "You've failed me more times than I've ever allowed anyone to fail before." She turned to them as I looked at her. "If you were smart…" She stopped and laughed. "What am I saying? Let me rephrase that." She glared at them. "If you ever even _dare_ to come back to my guild I will personally kill you." Vileplume gasped and put her hands to her mouth. "If I even suspect you've been by, I'll give you _one_ warning. After that, I'll kill each of you with my own talons." She half turned before looking at me. "Team Chaos, if you interfere in my affairs, I may have to, talk, with you. No reason we cannot be civil." I nodded and lowered my arms, reaching into my pouch to retrieve my pipe.

"Before you go, one question." I asked. She didn't move as I put the pipe in my mouth. "You run a guild. Do you expect Wigglytuff's guild not to get involved now that we know this?" I let out a bit of smoke.

"I expect that Wigglytuff will be, serious, for once." She said. "I know for a fact that she'll be ready to try to stop me, but it won't be so easy. Not all of the teams are as capable as you and Team Order."

"Miss, Miss Honchkrow." Hariyama said. She took off and he stood up. I turned to him and Jess took Mightyena aside.

"Hariyama." I said. He looked at me, all the usual anger clearly gone. "How long have you worked for her?"

"Why?" He asked. "Why do you care?"

"Because this is a crossroad for your life." I said. "All of you, have been given a chance. Just like I told you before she came by." I crossed my arms again. "What will you do now? Will you try to get your revenge on us now, knowing full well that your methods of getting stronger are even more limited? Or will you just stop altogether and try to live a life in the wild? There are countless ways to continue your lives now." They looked at each other as Jess sent Mightyena to the guild. "Just think, we don't have to be enemies anymore, and we can finally stop fighting each other. Just think of all the time you'll not be spending nursing your injuries. What about your children Vileplume?" She looked at me. "What will you do for them? Stay with them, feed them berries instead of Pokémon? Or will you try to evolve them and include them in trying to defeat me? Maybe, just maybe, you can give them the choice to be Vilplume like you, or Bellossom like you wanted to be when you were younger?" Her eyes went somewhat misty. She was thinking about it.

"Why do you care about us?" Hariyama asked. "We, we've been trying, to capture you, to turn you into our own personal slaves, for a long time now. Why would you help us?"

"We are a Rescue Team." Liz said.

"We help anyone who needs us." Alex said.

"You need our help now." Jess said.

"And most importantly, you have your whole lives ahead of you." I said. "You can try to undo some of the damage you've caused to so many other lives. I assume that your prisoners that I heard of when you first came after were to be slaves?" He nodded shakily. "They were set free. And you spent so much time trying to capture us after that, so maybe they're okay now, with their families." He looked at the ground. "Now, we don't hate you, we never have. We've had our differences, but now, you need someone to help you."

"We can do that." Liz said. She took a step toward them. "What will you do now? We, could never approve of what you did before, but maybe, you can do something good with your lives now." He looked at her.

"We, kidnapped…" He started, looking at Alex. "We kidnapped you, once. Can you, ever truly forgive us?"

"I already have." She replied. "I can appreciate that you were mad, and you were doing your job. I forgave you after we beat you that time." He smiled slightly.

"It doesn't matter what you did to us." I said. "We help anyone in need." He nodded. "So, whatever you do, we might be able to help." I smirked. "If it's against the law though, then expect us to show up sooner or later." He laughed, as did Vileplume and her Beedrill. I just smiled, hoping they could really change their act.


	15. A dungeon, some ice, new legend

**Okay, first update of the new year, and it's Jack's Journey… Kind of. Ah, you'll see what I mean when you read down past this. But you'll recognize this move if you read Gallade's Arm, and finished it up to the twentieth chapter. I figured I'd do this chapter in a similar move, but note that I say **_**similar**_**. There is a slight difference. All in all, I like the chapter, and it feels done. I just hope it doesn't have any major mistakes.**

**Mariokutai-Reincarnated and DragonLord Seth have their lives to deal with, and I've not heard from them in a while, so I expect they're hard at work on their own stories, or their lives are currently taking precedence. If anyone spots an error, I'd appreciate it if you let me know by either PM or by review, whatever you want to go with.**

**Also, this chapter brings us closer to the end, but I just hope I can make the ending count. If I do well enough, I may do a sequel. I can only hope for that, because I'm really starting to like this again.**

**Disclaimer: I, Lord Genesis Shadow, do hereby state that I do not own the rights to Pokémon or Pokémon Mystery Dungeon. This story was not made for profit. It was made for people to read at their leisure for their own reasons.  
…**

I looked over the mission board and crossed my arms. All of the jobs that we could usually take were gone. We'd usually handle the most difficult ones we could, if our counterparts hadn't already picked them off. The only jobs left were easy ones that the rest of the guild could handle. If it wasn't a difficult job, we'd leave it for the others.

'Darn.' I thought. 'Not one job above a rank four.' I stepped back carefully and let out a sigh. 'Have to wait a few…' Before I could finish the thought there was an alarm, and the board spun around. I smiled. Dugtrio was switching the job boards for more recent missions, though he'd leave the others that hadn't somehow resolved themselves. I waited a few moments before it spun back, revealing plenty of new jobs to take care of. As I read them I heard the other board spin, so I looked over the jobs and growled quietly. 'Still not one difficult enough…' I reached up to a job detailing a new area we hadn't gone to yet. I opened the envelope attached and looked at the contents. It was an arctic job, down south of the guild. It would take a few hours to fly there and back, but it was a worthwhile job. I took the job down and smiled slightly. It was the only difficult job I could see, the only one that would pose a problem to the others. 'Perfect. A new place to train, but first… I have to rescue a Grumpig, who has been caught in a blizzard that even his Thick Fat can't handle too well.'

"Hey, how are the jobs looking today big red?" A familiar voice called from nearby. I fought a laugh. Lately, he had managed to prove himself nicer than I wanted to believe of him. He was actually, kind of a friend. But I wasn't about to tell him that.

"One job worth taking today." I said. I looked at him as he smiled. He almost always had a smile, and when he didn't, when he was serious, he looked pretty cool. But I was over him. I didn't need his approval anymore. "And it's mine." I folded the paper and put it away, along with the envelope. I walked past him, but he walked by me to the bounty board. We looked at it and I saw that there were none that I'd take. All ones that I had either a type disadvantage or they were in places I couldn't, or wouldn't, go. "Looks like I've got one job today down in Arctic Ridge." He looked at me.

"Arctic Ridge?" He asked. "Huh, never heard of it."

"A Grumpig got in over his head." I said. "He's freezing and huddling near a fire right at the end of it, and he needs some help." He nodded and held up his hands, and there were four requests between them. 'Showoff. Speed isn't… Forget it. Fast, strong, and uses moves he shouldn't be able to learn. Like I care.'

"Well, I'm headed out to the same place." He said. "Four gigs for there, picked 'em up yesterday." I looked at the papers. "Got a Jinx causing trouble for a local tribe of Snorunt, a Gengar set up shop to bug a group of traders that are collecting rare evolution stones, a recently thawed Cradily is bothering a few aquatic Pokémon, and apparently someone is being attacked by an unseen assailant that is said to be made of living 'unmeltable' ice. Apparently a Magmar tried to blast him with his strongest flamethrower and it didn't even annoy the thing before he got sent packing by a single Ice Beam."

"Sounds like something you'd love to fight." I said. "What about your girls?"

"They're coming with me of course." He said. "You know, since we'll be there together, what would you say about working together?" I stared at him as I thought. "It'd make Wigglytuff happy." I couldn't fight the smile. Thinking about Wigglytuff did that to many of us. When she was happy, it was pretty much contagious, even if it was imagining her happy. The way she acted all the time, it was like nothing could make her sad apart from anyone not getting along. "Come on, we'll split the reward."

"Fine, for Wigglytuff." I said after a minute. "Goodness knows we put her through enough worry over all of our, my stupid anger at you." He held out his right hand, which I took. "I'll meet you outside once you're done with your mates."

"See you in a few minutes partner." He said. He walked away, leaving me with my hand holding the fading hand of a double. I squeezed it and fought a laugh as I turned to walk out.

'Blasted Infernape, always acting like, himself…' I thought. I walked out and laughed quietly for a few seconds before I heard footsteps. I looked to my right to see Arthur fixing his headband. He had a smile, so I smirked at him. 'Listening in on my thoughts?'

"Just to see where you were." He said calmly. I walked over and moved my arm around his shoulders. "We are to work with Team Chaos." I nodded.

"To let Wigglytuff know we're putting the past behind us." I said. "Goku wants to try to be friendly, so, I guess it can't hurt. After all, he got me to see how you felt about me, how I never realized I felt about you." He laughed as he reached behind me and scratched a spot between my wing joints. I gave a pleased growl and looked at him. "Hey, calm down. We have to complete our missions." He nodded and I looked ahead as I quietly sighed at the rising sun.

"Do you think Jess is truly happy with him?" He asked. I shrugged my wings.

"Don't know, don't care." I said. "She made her choices, because I was a bad leader. I won't make that mistake if another joins our cause." He nodded. "But I'd like to find someone else we can train to help us. Someone strong, but also someone who can compensate for some of our weaknesses."

"Someone fast, and capable." He suggested.

"Someone able to hit a little faster than you two." Goku's voice said. I looked back as he walked past with Liz and Jess. As they walked past us Alex appeared in front of them with some bags of items. After they put their gear on, I couldn't help but smile. It felt good to see them being at least slightly serious. They weren't doing this for the same reasons I had started out for. They were genuinely trying to help anyone they could. "So, what's the plan? I can't carry everyone on my cloud."

"At best you could fit Liz and Jess." Alex mused. She looked at me as Arthur stepped forward slightly. "We have to have visited a place at least once to teleport."

"Indeed." Arthur said. They both looked at me.

"What?" I asked after a few seconds. They smiled together. "You want me to carry you? Both of you?" They nodded. "Okay, Arthur, I understand, but you?"

"I am no heavier than he is." She said. "Not like I'm after him. He's a powerful Alakazam, but he has you." Arthur rubbed his head as Goku whistled. I heard the sound of his cloud and sighed.

"Fine." I said. "If we team up and go somewhere none of us have ever been, I'll carry you, on my back." I stepped forward and picked up Arthur, and he struggled while stammering.

"Hey, what, what's this about?" He asked.

"You agreed with her that I should carry you both." I said. "And you're my mate. I'll carry her on my back, as a gesture of friendship." I leaned forward and she climbed on my back above my wings. "But I don't see any other way to carry you." He laughed as Goku climbed onto his cloud, helping his girls up. Liz stood in front of him, holding onto his chest as Jess stood behind him, his tail wrapped around her carefully. "You three ready to go?"

"Whenever you are Big Red." Goku said with a smirk. He took off quickly and I ran a few steps before jumping and flapping my wings. I glided a bit before flapping harder.  
…

We flew over the area a bit before landing near the entrance we saw on the map. As we landed I nearly slipped on the ice, but I just caught myself. Alex jumped down as I set Arthur down in front of me. Goku and his mates stepped down from the cloud before it took off into the sky again. I'd have to ask how he got that one day, so that maybe Arthur could try to get one.

"Slick." Goku said. I looked at him. "We'll have to be careful. I don't think we've ever fought on ice like this before." He looked at Jess as she giggled into her claws.

"I'll scout ahead." She said. "It'll be easy for me." Goku nodded and kissed her forehead, making her blush and turn away while giggling shyly. "See you later." She jogged away before breaking into a run.

"She's quite taken with you." Arthur said. "I always knew she was flirty, but I never thought it was a real thing."

"And she was willing to be a Beta." I said. Goku looked at me. "Don't break her heart. She was my friend before she loved you." I took a few careful steps and nearly slipped again, so I looked at the ground and growled quietly.

"Take it slow and easy." He said. "Try to slide forward on purpose if you can manage it." He took a few steps and slid while Liz started floating behind him. He just looked back. "Showoff." I took a few steps and started sliding as well, with a wide legged stance to keep my balance, using my tail to help with it. I smiled. I was moving faster than Goku. I slid past him and up to the walls, and I smiled a bit wider as I stuck my claws in the walls, leaving a trail of ice shavings behind me. After a while though, Arthur and Alex hovered past me.

"Hey…" I started to say, but I slipped and fell on my back. "Darn it!" I looked up to see Goku sliding past with his pipe in his mouth, and he left a short trail of black smoke. He looked smug as I stood up carefully. I dug my claws of my feet into the ice and walked past him before looking back and smirking. As I turned I saw a group of Jynx looking over at me. I prepared to attack as they glared at me almost angrily. "You don't want to fight us, trust me on that." The closest one formed an Ice Beam, so I opened my mouth as flames burned in my stomach. The beam fired and I loosed my Flamethrower. The beam was quickly overtaken and turned to steam while the other two fired their own Ice Beams, which managed to hold back the fire. My eyes went wide and I was running out of air fast.

With no warning a second blast of fire, a slightly darker flame than my own, quickly over took the three beams and my own flames were added as they washed over the trio of ice types. When the flames stopped I saw that they were all unconscious, but not badly hurt. They were just out from the heat.

"We all have some level of advantage here." Goku said. "Fire and fighting should be the way to go, and steel attacks should be useful as well." I nodded as I started walking, still gripping my claws into the ice. "So, now all we need to do is get to find the suspects so we can take care of them."

"Alice, would you like us to help you with your mission while we're here?" Liz asked. I looked at her as she floated beside me.

"I think Arthur and I can handle it." I said. "Don't worry about us." I looked ahead as she started smiling. "It's all the way at the end, and you've probably got some jobs in other dungeons."

"True, we probably shouldn't put them off." Goku said. "It'll take a while at any rate, either by cloud or just getting our gear otherwise."

"That reminds me." I said. I looked over at him as he slowly slid beside me. How he was keeping at that exact speed was beyond me. "Where did you get that cloud in the first place?"

"Xatu gave it to me." He said. "During the last few days of training he told me I deserved a gift for having bested him in single combat despite the disadvantage of being a fighter against a flying psychic." I laughed quietly. "He also said it was a faster way to get back to the guild, and give us time to stop by the evolution stone."

"Why didn't he give us something like that?" Arthur asked. Goku shrugged.

"Probably because Alice evolves into something like a dragon." He said casually. "Me, I just get faster. Sure, that probably means I shouldn't have to fly, but he knew we'd probably have to do so someday."

"And it's a good way to get past Blaziken." I said. He nodded. "You both share the same dual types though. I'd imagine you're nearly his equal by now, but if you're fast enough you should be able to just beat him into the ground like a tent stake."

"Hopefully." He said. "But don't forget that he has a lot of the artifacts. He can use ground based attacks now, and I have a weakness to that. I'd all but require my nimbus to avoid those moves, and my own psychic powers aren't that great compared to his." He put his right hand to his forehead as we looked around. "I still get a headache from time to time when I overdo it." He lowered his hand to his pipe and let out some more smoke as I pulled out the coral one and looked at it. "Glad to see you're taking care of my old pipe." I smirked and put the pipe in my mouth, quickly letting a little bit of my own smoke out.  
…

I roared as I flew over the ice toward the ice, thing. It had managed to push Goku and his team back, along with Arthur. I had been occupied with a group of Glalie and a few Jynx to buy them time and room, but if it pushed back Goku, then this thing must have been powerful.

"Alice, watch out!" Goku called. I narrowed my eyes as a bright gold beam shot at me. I flew above it and smiled, but I looked back as it curved up and followed me.

"Oh, come on!" I yelled. I dodged the beam again and again, but it wouldn't stop following me. It was a Hyper Beam, a move that either hit or missed.

"Alice, it used Lock-On!" Arthur called. "It'll follow you until it hits you, or _something _else!" I caught his drift and flew toward the ice being. I dodged the beam a few times by stopping and swerving around it, and I stopped in front of it before flying behind it. The telltale explosion told me that my plan worked, and when it flew past me I just smiled. "Great job Alice!" The others cheered as I watched it.

"What goes around comes around!" Goku called. He walked over to me and stopped. "I couldn't have done that better myself." He laughed quietly before the thing got up. "What the heck is this thing? That hit would have knocked both of _us_ out in one hit."

"You should not be here." It said suddenly. "You will not get my artifact." It sounded, strange, kind of like a Magnemite or a Magneton, but like it was echoing through pure ice.

"Artifact?" Arthur asked. "We're not after any artifact. We're heard that you've been attacking anyone that comes near here."

"Who are you?" I asked.

"I am Regice." It said. "I am the keeper of one of the elemental artifacts. You must leave."

"Wait, if you're a guardian, we have a message." Goku said. "A fighter named Blaziken is after the artifacts."

"I have heard of this Blaziken." It said. "Lugia has told me what I need to know." It looked at me for a moment. "Leave this area."

"Before we go, I need to ask you something." I said. "Have you seen a Grumpig around here anywhere?"

"Grumpig…" It said. "Grumpig…" I stared as the dots that marked where its face was blinked in an odd pattern. "Grumpig is that way." It pointed to the north. "It is not far, in a dead end area. It is cold, and dangerous. Be wary."

"Thank you for the warning." I said. "But we have to get Grumpig out of here."

"Are you still sure you don't want our help?" Liz asked. I looked at her. "We can assist you however you need us."

"We'll be okay." I said. "My fire and Arthur's power should be more than we need from here." They nodded and gathered around Goku. "I'll see you at dinner." They nodded and vanished as I looked at Regice. "Regice, they'll tell Officer Magnezone to leave you alone. If they didn't, you'd be getting a lot more visitors. Perhaps you could put up signs to warn everyone away." It stood there silently so I shrugged. "Food for thought, I guess. Come on Arthur, we've got one last job and we can head home." I looked at Regice one last time before we started walking. After about ten or twelve minutes, Arthur moved closer.

"So, Regice is another guardian." He said. I nodded. "They are all supposedly legendary Pokémon, never seen away from their homes."

"And incredibly powerful." I said. "We've only fought Regice, but I'd be willing to bet that the rest of them are incredibly powerful, maybe more than Regice, or maybe even Heatran, however powerful she was. If we fought the rest, we'd probably get knocked out in under a minute." He nodded. "They're all strong, and we'd better avoid them from now on." We kept walking for a few minutes and we saw the end of the path, and a lot of large chunks of ice. I heard Arthur shiver as the wind started picking up and it started to snow fairly heavily.

"Geeze, it's, colder than where Regice was." Arthur said suddenly. "Way below freezing." He shivered and I moved my tail behind him carefully. The upshot of being a fire type is that I'm always hot, even when the weather isn't. "Can you see Grumpig, or, anything?" I shook my head.

"No, not yet." I said. He suddenly cried out and I looked to see that he had vanished. "Arthur! Where are you!" I looked around for him. "Arthur!" I waited and looked around quickly before closing my eyes. 'Arthur, where are you? What happened?' After a few minutes of silence I knew he was either unconscious or unable to respond somehow. "Arthur!" I let out a loud roar as my tail flame started burning hotter than usual. The snow suddenly died and I looked around for a moment as the wind stopped blowing. I looked around and suddenly saw a pair of ice blocks, each with a Pokémon frozen inside. One was a Grumpig, but the other made me run over. I skidded up to the second block and saw Arthur inside, his face contorted with focus and his right hand balled in a fist, his spoon halfway to the ground. "Arthur! Hang on!" I inhaled and heard a laugh, so I turned to see a being with a white outfit, sleeve-like arms growing out of the head of something with blue eyes surrounded by yellow sclera, the normally white part of the eyes. Little pieces of ice were on her head, and she had a purple bow around her midsection. What little skin was visible was purple. "Who are you? Did you do this?" I turned completely as she nodded with a small smile.

"Yes." She said. Her voice was soft and kind sounding. "I am Yuki, and I am a Froslass. You and your friend came into my territory willingly, purposely. You are the only ones that have ever done that, and you, you are the first one in a very long time that I could not freeze with my storm." I growled.

"Let them go!" I said quickly. "Let my mate out of the ice, now!" She laughed into her hand.

"If you can defeat me, perhaps I will." She said. "But you won't win." She looked at me and she smiled. "No one has ever beaten me, and their souls have long since left their bodies. Their friends never came to save them, if they had any. The only ones that have ever fought me directly were no match for my cold, though admittedly they were not fire types like you." I growled and narrowed my eyes before remembering how badly Goku had beaten me. The thought calmed me and I took a few deep breaths before pulling out the pipe. "Oh, are you going to leave now?" I bit down on the pipe and cracked my knuckles.

"No." I said. "I'm going to do this right. I learned my lesson from my fight with Goku, and I won't make the mistake I made against him again, not when my mate's life is on the line." She smiled and faded slightly before the wind whipped up again. I looked around as I took a few steps forward, listening for her. She didn't have visible legs, so she would likely be floating. That meant I wouldn't hear her anyway, even if the wind wasn't blowing all around me. I had to focus what little psychic skill Arthur had taught me. If I was lucky, I could probably detect her, if I was lucky. 'Where is she? Where is my enemy?' I felt something moving a few yards out, fairly quickly. The temperature was dropping noticeably, perhaps meaning that it was Powder Snow, or maybe even Blizzard. "Yuki, you can't win with this!" I pulled out the pipe and inhaled before loosing fire ahead of me. The area ahead was clear for a moment and I couldn't see her, so I inhaled again and flapped my wings before spinning and using Flamethrower again. As the air cleared, it was temporary, but I never caught sight of her. She was out of my range, so I set down and growled. 'Not bad. She's quick, but I've got a few tricks up my sleeve this time around.' I growled as I focused for a new technique. After a minute I roared and flapped my wings rapidly as my roar got louder and louder. After a few seconds the air cleared and I kept roaring. Yuki was ahead of me so I flapped harder toward her, sending my Heat Wave attack directly at her. She groaned for a moment before crying out loudly. After minute or so I saw steam forming in the air from the snow trying to get in. It turned to drops of water that evaporated around us. She was getting pelted by hot water drops as I stopped roaring to breathe for a second. I roared again as she started blowing cold air, and there was a thin blue beam fighting to form, but the heat was dissipating it in mid blast. After another minute I stopped and ran at her, stopping to slide her way. She seemed shocked for a moment as I smiled wickedly, the pipe now in my mouth as I drew back my fist. She started moving when I roared again, stunning her with the sound. I focused hard and jumped to glide at her, throwing a Sky Uppercut at her. She took the hit on the chin and flew up, crying out before suddenly stopping. She screamed and fired a strong Ice Beam that I just narrowly dodged. She moved down at me and stopped right in front of me, clapping her hands and startling me for a second. She then fired an Ice Beam point blank. I felt the chill and shivered for a second before dropping to my right knee. "Darn, you're pretty good." She panted as I stood up. She stared. "But I am Alice, the leader of Team Order! And you will not beat me!" Her eyes went wide as I jumped up and flew at her, landing hard in front of her before spinning and hitting her with a strong Iron Tail. She flew to the side, crying out before she hit the ground. I waited and she slowly got up, very shakily. She looked at me with an odd sparkle in her eyes. "Let, them, go." She smiled as she stood up slowly. I stared as she looked at me. "What? Still want to fight? I'm still holding back."

"You say, you are the leader of a team?" She asked. I nodded. "Perhaps, I should join you."

"What?" I asked. "You can't be serious." I gestured to Arthur. "You froze my mate!"

"I will free him, if you let me join this, Team Order." She said. "You are strong, and I believe I could be stronger if I followed you. I promise I will follow your word, and will not freeze anyone you do not ask me to freeze."


	16. Visions, Armor, challenge

**Okay, here we are at chapter sixteen. I feel it's primarily filler, and I personally didn't have much love for this chapter for a while, which is why I didn't post last week. I sent it to Mariokutai-Reincarnated and he said it was necessary filler, to add more depth to the story, and I agree now. At first I had the thought, but his reinforcement made the idea stick. So, filler mostly, but it's good enough, I guess. I still don't totally love it, but it's about time I start setting certain things up.**

**Next chapter, I'm going to just say this once. I'm aiming for a lot more action. A series of battles followed by one serious match between Goku and one of my favorite Pokémon (Both from his two movies and the fact that I have a team of six of him for Elite Four speed runs). Will he win, or will he lose? I've not fully decided yet. Feel free to suggest something, and I'll make my choice at a later time.**

**Being that it'll be an action oriented chapter, I will add a bit of filler. After all, skip several months on both Team's sides, there's a lot that happened that was overlooked. For example, where did Goku get his Nimbus Cloud? How did Arthur get his scar? And when did they all evolve? These are questions I'll answer in the next chapter, at least for Goku's cloud and his team's evolution to their final forms.**

**And, as I said before, I'm accepting OCs from anyone that wants to make one, and I'll add them as I feel they're appearance would be appropriate, but I'm only accepting so many. I try to keep the cast down to a certain level. As it stands, no one has made an OC for Jack's Journey as of yet. I'm sure it would be interesting to have Jack find a new Team of rivals from the Honchkrow Guild. I'll be featuring her later, since she's a serious villainess.**

**Lastly, I do apologize for not posting last week. I wanted to, but as I said before, I didn't really feel like this was exactly what I wanted. Now that I look it over again, I like it enough to say it's a worthwhile chapter, putting in something useful for later.**

**Disclaimer: I, Lord Genesis Shadow, do not own the rights to Pokémon or Pokémon Mystery Dungeon. Thank you, enjoy, and remember, I appreciate readers and reviews.  
…**

I stretched my back as we walked toward the guild. The missions were finished in nearly record time, putting us at a new personal best of twelve missions in two areas, all done in one day. We were concerned about Alice and Arthur, but Alice was as tough as she could be, and something about her life as a human seemed to be breaking past the mindset of a Charizard, giving her insight into attacks so she could use them in new ways, like I would sometimes do.

"Are you sure they'll be okay?" Jess asked. "I mean, I know Alice can burn anything to ashes, but Arthur isn't exactly meant to last too long in a climate like that." I put my hands behind my head. "If they aren't back by night, I want to go look for them." I nodded.

"Sounds good." I said. "I'll go with you."

"I'll stay and keep an eye out for them." Alex said. We walked in and she laughed. "Or, perhaps we will not need to."

"Wow, they teleported right inside this time." Jess said. Alice and Arthur were talking to a Grumpig, but there was a third Pokémon there, and I recognized her as a shiny Froslass. "Who is that?"

"That is a Froslass." I said. "You remember the Glalie and Snorunt?" She nodded. "She is an alternate evolution to the Snorunt line, by use of a stone. And I say she because her species is specifically female."

"I never knew that." Jess said. "They're kind of like Jynx."

"Indeed." Alex said. "Perhaps she is a new member for Team Order." We walked closer as Grumpig shook Alice's hand and walked away.

"Hi Alice." Jess said. "Good to see you made it back okay." Alice turned as the Froslass turned toward us. Arthur walked over to talk to Chatot, likely to finalize the adding of the Froslass to their team.

"Thanks." She said. She gestured to the Froslass. "This is Yuki. She was the one that froze Grumpig, and, now she apparently wants to be part of Team Order. Says that she senses something great in my future, and, well, I need the help." Yuki smiled and bowed to us, so I bowed politely as well.

"It is an honor to meet you Yuki." I said. I stood up and saw her smiling while Liz and Jess bowed. Alex had walked off, likely to check on everyone we had helped. "I am Jack, though everyone calls me Goku." Jess held out her right claw.

"I'm Jess." She said. "Nice to meet you." Yuki took her claw and shook it with a small smile while Liz giggled into her hand.

"I am Liz." She said quietly. "I'm glad that Team Order has a capable new member."

"I hope to be of great assistance." Yuki said.

"I'll say this, she's strong." Alice said. "Add in that she can officially fill a niche that we lost when you left us." Jess blushed as Alice laughed. "But that was my fault." She sighed and held out her hand to Jess. "I pushed you too hard, and learned a lesson too late. Sorry I pushed you, but then, you found love, so I guess it was meant to be." Jess took her hand and shook it with a smile.  
…

I looked out from the top of the guild at the rising sun. The girls were still asleep, tired from staying up a little late, mostly just talking. By the time we went to sleep, it was about midnight. Still, I woke up early to see the sunrise. It always made for a good start to the day.

"Jack." A familiar voice said calmly. I smiled. "I'm glad you are here. I wanted to talk to you earlier when I woke up, but you were away, with Alice." I nodded. "You found another guardian of the relics, Regice, and you could have defeated him, had you not held back so much of your power."

"Better to leave him strong so he doesn't seem too weak against Blaziken." I said. He walked over and looked out to the sunrise with me.

"Blaziken arrived shortly after Alice left with Arthur and her new teammate." He said. "He fought and defeated Regice. His strength is growing. When the time comes for you to fight him, send your girls with Alice while holding him back. The cataclysm will not be around until the artifacts have been put in their rightful places, and there is one he does not know of that he needs, that you will have." I looked at him as he closed his eyes. "It is the final artifact, one of the last three that he does not have." I nodded and looked ahead. So much for relaxing at the sight of the sunset. "The artifact is the Rainbow Bracer. It embodies the power of all of the other artifacts, allowing the wearer to use every type of attack as though it were natural." I whistled quietly and heard him laugh. "You will receive a challenge letter tomorrow from a nameless source, and you will go on this one alone. It will be a grueling task to get to this Pokémon, but you must find him and defeat him. It is his destiny to give this crown to you so that you can use it against Blaziken." I nodded. "The battle I have seen is cloudy, but in what I have seen in the end, you will defeat him. My advice is to use your enhancements to improve the odds of victory, and wear something that enhances psychic powers."

"I'll ask Alex if I can borrow her spoons." I said. He chuckled quietly. "And, anything else that would help. I'm guessing I won't be able to do much against him without what little psychic ability I have managed to gain."

"He is powerful, and will test you to your limit, but you must win." He said. "For such a fighter to be able to cloud my vision of future events like this, he must be impossibly strong." I sighed quietly. "Yes, your type is far from advantageous, but with good fortune you should win." He laughed again. "Oddly though, from what I saw, you wore something new." I looked at him. "A covering of metal all over your body."

"A Metal Coat." I said. "It improves the power of steel type moves where I'm from, and it turns an Onix into a Steelix, or a Scyther into a Scizor." He nodded and seemed to be looking, somewhere else.

"I see." He said quietly. "You will go into the town, and speak to, the Lucario that sensed your Aura for the first time. She will give you this coating of metal in exchange for an answer to a single question. But, I do not know this question. You will be on your own from there." I nodded and he opened his eyes. "Before you leave to talk to her, give Alice the blade. She is ready to use it. She will need to practice, and then she will use it to save this world, with your help."

"Thank you Master Xatu." I said. "I should prepare to go then."  
…

I walked up to Alice's door and knocked twice before hearing a quiet laugh. The door opened to reveal Yuki. She smiled at the sight of me.

"Hello Goku." She said.

"Good morning Yuki." I said. "Is Alice in? I need to talk to her." She nodded and floated back in while I waited. A few moments later Alice walked up and I nodded to my side. "Private talk. Just for fire types." She smirked as I walked down the hall. I heard her walking behind me, but we didn't stop until we were at an empty area where I felt safe.

"So, what do you need to talk about?" She asked. "If you can't say it in front of my team, I guess it's something big." I looked at her as she grinned a bit wider. "Come to confess your love to me?" I laughed quietly and shook my head.

"No, this isn't something so simple." I said. "No, I'm here to give you something, to practice with in private." I looked at her as her grin faded. I pulled out the sword hilt and she looked at it. "Master Xatu gave this to me a few weeks ago, to protect. This is an artifact of legend that uses the power of Aura to form a blade." She stared at it as I pointed it away from me. I focused hard and the silver blade formed, making her step back as I started sweating. "It takes a lot of my, focus, to keep this, thing formed." I let go of the focus as I felt pressure in my nose. I sighed and looked at her. "I heard that you have better focus than I do, so you should be able to make better use of it than I could. But, Xatu made me promise that I would make you promise that you'd only use it when you absolutely had to." I held it out. "Never use this unless you're about to really get hurt and you've no other choice." She nodded and reached for it but I quickly withdrew my hand. "I need to hear it."

"I promise." She said. "I won't use it unless my life is in danger." I held my hand out and she carefully took it, and it immediately started spitting out sparks of red and green. I quickly got out of the way as a blade shot out near where my chest was seconds before. "Whoa!" I looked at it curiously. It looked like a thin longsword from the old medieval days of England.

"Well, now I'm kind of, annoyed." I said. She looked at me. "I have to nearly suffer a migraine to form my blade from it, and you just, touch it and it forms a red blade with, a green edge…" I looked at her. "Huh, I never knew you had a dual colored Aura." She smiled as she looked at it. "Hey, be careful. Just because you're better at forming the blade doesn't make you the best with it. Practice when you're alone, and keep it hidden."

"Well, if Blaziken bothers me now…" She said. I touched the hilt and she looked at me.

"Only when you absolutely need it." I said warningly. "If Blaziken knew about this, could he use it as well as you do? He has incredible power now. Xatu looked for him, found him, and saw that he only needs three artifacts, and he's already beaten Regice." She opened her mouth and closed it as I moved my hand back. "Just a little while after you flew back to the Guild." She growled. "Hey, calm down." She growled louder and I swiped the hilt from her, making her glare at me. "I need you to stay focused. If you find him, don't take him on alone. Make sure you send a message to me and the girls through Arthur. We're all a lot stronger, but so is he. He has the power to use all of our weaknesses right now, and we need to think about how we can take him on."

"Fine." She said after a minute. I put the sword in her pack. "I'll, be careful. We need to work together after all. You, saved our lives, mine more than once. I trust you, Jack." I smiled slightly and nodded.

"And I trust you." I said. After a few moments of silence I cracked my back and smiled a bit more. "Well, I have business in town. I just wanted to give you the sword Xatu wanted me to give you, so, now that we're done with that." She laughed as I walked past her. "I'll see you around Alice. If you ever need my help, just ask."  
…

I walked into the small building alone and looked around before sensing her. She walked out from the back room with a small jar in her hands. I watched as she set it on the table.

"It is good to see you again." She said quietly. "So to speak." I walked up to the table as she sat down. "Xatu told you to meet me, for the Metal Coat, yes?" I sat down.

"He did." I said. "He had a vision of me fighting someone, and the Metal Coat was helping me. I'm not sure how though."

"It grants you the strength of steel." She said quietly. "When you wear it, you have your fire, your muscles, and the defense that only steel can provide. I believe this particular Metal Coat was destined to find its way into your hands, or, onto them." I put my hands in front of me. "But, you are waiting for my question. It is a simple one, but one I would like your answer to."

"And I will provide the honest answer." I said. "Providing I know it." She laughed quietly for a few moments.

"It is one that you, and only you, can answer." She said. "No other could give the true answer, even if they say the same as you." She put her hands in front of her. "I know you are no normal Infernape, nor were you normal as a Chimchar or Monferno. You are more than any, but at the same time you feel, less than that." I stared at her as she looked in my direction, her eyes closed. It was hard to believe that she was actually blind. "When the time comes, would you stay as you are, or would you go back to the world of humanity, and why?" I blinked.

"I would much rather stay." I said calmly. "I would rather be who I am now, because I have a purpose. I told my friends, my mates, that I would do anything I could in order to stay here with them. Even if I could choose, I would stay, for Liz, and for Jess. I love them, and that is why I would stay here as an Infernape." She smiled.

"Not just any Infernape though." She said. "The Infernape _King_." I blinked again as she picked up the jar and set it before me. "I have my answer now, and, we will never see one another again after you leave. My time in this world is nearly over, but there will be no body to bury. You will stay however, until your time is done. Perhaps you will see me when that day arrives, but until then, take care of your mates, Jack." She stood up and walked to the back room. "When you have left the guild, this house will be yours. It is my gift to you, and your girls." She looked over her shoulder and opened her eyes. They seemed, different than when I saw them open before. "When you face Blaziken, tell him, that it wasn't his fault. You will know when to say it, and he will understand." I blinked as she walked into the back room. I shook my head and grabbed the small metal jar, but it was heavier than I thought it was.

"Geeze, liquid metal is, pretty heavy stuff." I said quietly. "I can really make use of this."  
…

"Goku?" Liz asked. I looked up at her from the instructions that were on the jar. "Where did you get that?"

"From the Aura reader." I said. "Xatu said to go get it." She walked over and looked at it. "It's a Metal Coat." I looked at the jar. "It says to just, stick my hand in and it'll cover my entire body in liquid metal. I'll still be me, just, part steel." Jess walked over and giggled.

"Wow, you'll have yet another type advantage over me." She said. I laughed quietly. "Fire, fighting, steel, what next, dark so you can hide better?" I smirked

"Well, if I find something that makes me part dark, I'll probably use it." I said. She laughed as I opened the lid. "Well, I'll try this stuff on, and see how it feels." I put my right hand in and nearly recoiled. It was cold. "Whoa, chilly stuff." I watched as it suddenly started crawling up my arm rapidly. We watched as it finally covered the top of my head, but Liz just laughed. "What?" I blinked. "Whoa, cool." My voice had taken on a kind of metallic tone to it, like a robot. "Just when I thought I was mechanical enough, this stuff adds the voice effect." The girls laughed as I closed the lid and put it in my pack. "Okay, it isn't too heavy. I can walk around fairly easily in this. And as a bonus, the added weight should let me get more out of my exercise."

"You know, it's kind of fitting that you'd have that." Liz said. I looked at her. "I mean, you have metal in place of your bones, right?" I smirked again.

"True, but this is steel." I said. "The metal on my bones is called titanium, and it's a bit stronger." She giggled into her hand as I stood up and stretched for a few seconds. "You know, we could all benefit from a Metal Coat, if we could find three more jars of it. Added protection from most attacks, the benefits of being semi-steel types." They both laughed as I walked toward the door. "I just hope I can keep this after the challenge tomorrow."

"Challenge?" Jess asked. "What challenge?"

"Xatu says I'll be challenged by letter tomorrow." I said. "I should go alone for this. It's apparently going to be very dangerous, though I'll be able to escape. I have to do it so I can get the last artifact, a secret one called the Rainbow Bracer. Once we have that, I'm sure we'll use it later when the time comes." They nodded and I put my hand to my forehead. "Oh, I almost forgot. I've got to ask Alex if I can borrow her old spoons. I need to boost what psychic power I have if I'm to win."

"Sounds like it will be a difficult fight." Liz said quietly. I looked at her and nodded. "Will you, use your cybernetics?" I nodded again.

"I promised only to use them against a truly worthy foe." I said. "Well, Blaziken aside anyway." She sighed. "Hey, I'll be fine. I still have my cyborg parts for a reason. I can use them to really make a difference." A thought hit me. "You know, in all this time since I've evolved, I have a tail." She nodded slowly. "I never bothered to check what it's made out of. If it doesn't respond to a system check, that means it isn't cybernetic at all." She laughed quietly. "I really should have thought of that. I've been acting like I've always had it, but now that I realize it, I need to be more careful with it." She nodded as Jess looked at my tail and touched it with her claw.

"I keep forgetting that you used to be human." She said. "But, I'm really glad you were. If you were always a Chimchar, maybe we never would have met, and the world would be doomed." I gently moved my tail around her shoulders and she looked at me as Liz gently took my hand.

"I think that whatever force brought me here meant for us to be together." I said with a small smile. She walked over and I moved my free arm around her while Liz stepped closer. "Human though I used to be, I always looked up to Infernape when I saw one. I even knew one named Nick, who let his kids play with me the day of the accident." I thought back on that day. "That day was, kind of fun, the nails impaling my back notwithstanding." She giggled. "I also met a girl that day, named Sarah. She lived with a Gallade and a Gardevoir, and their son Jasey." I thought a bit more. "I wonder how they're doing right now."


	17. Nimbus, Metal, Apprentice

**Welcome to another Friday posting. I'm happy with this chapter, something that rarely happens. It has a good deal of action with a little reminiscing on how certain things came to pass. It also adds a few new characters to the group and the appearance of one of my favorite Pokémon. I'm once more happy with how one of my chapters turned out.**

**I must also thank my friends and Beta Writers, Mariokutai-Reincarnated and Chaotyx. Without their help I'd be missing a lot of things that I should be able to fix.**

**Disclaimer: I, Lord Genesis Shadow, and by extension Mariokutai-Reincarnated and Chaotyx, do not own the rights to Pokémon or Pokémon Mystery Dungeon. Thank you for reading, and please, have a nice day.  
…**

I walked out past the grate in front of the main gate as I held the map from the letter. The girls were getting ready for the day, and they would be working with Alice and her team for the day, or until I faced my challenger and defeated him. Alice was okay with it, and Yuki was going to have a lot of fun learning about how things worked outside of her land of ice and snow.

"Goku." A calm voice said. I looked over my shoulder and saw Yuki floating toward me. "You really intend to meet the one that challenges you?" I nodded with a smirk.

"I'm not about to disappoint a challenger." I said. "It might hurt his feelings… Or her feelings." I shrugged as she laughed quietly into her hand. "But, seriously, I have to do this for reasons all my own. For one thing, what if this person decides to kidnap Liz or Jess, or both of them, and uses them to bring me out to fight? I'd rather take care of it now."

"And the Metal Coat in your pack?" She asked. I smirked.

"It makes me look cool." I said. "Just imagine me covered in liquid metal. I look pretty awesome. The metal makes me more so." She laughed a bit louder as Alice walked out.

"Yeah, we know you're cool." She said. "Now let your girls know you'll be fine and be on your way. We've got a busy day of our own. A bunch of bad Pokémon bothering anyone they can, and a few stolen items, extremely expensive and rare items. Officer Magnezone suspects the Honchkrow Guild may be involved in some way." I crossed my arms and turned. "Hey, we'll take care of this and you can take your challenge." I nodded and lowered my arms, putting the letter in my pouch and looked at the map. I activated my compass and brought up the world map. After checking the coordinates twice I looked up and put the map away.

"I'll see you later." I said. Liz and Jess walked forward.

"Be careful." Liz said quietly. "I want you to come back as soon as you can."

"I will, I promise." I said calmly. I held out my hands and they took them with smiles.

"I wish we could go with you." Jess said. "If just so we could cheer you on and congratulate you when you win." I smirked and Alice laughed quietly as they moved their hands from mine. "See you when I get back." I moved in and kissed Liz's lips, making her jump slightly. I then kissed Jess and she smiled as I moved back. I turned and jogged toward the edge and whistled loudly. I jumped over the edge and my Nimbus caught me mid-fall as I held out my arms. I turned up slightly and toward my destination, which was to the southeast. After I got about fifteen miles out a small counter gave me an estimate that it would take a little over two hours, so I locked my body down and closed my eyes.  
…

"_Goku, before you return to the Guild, I have a test for you." Xatu said mystically. I turned to him and he was looking off into the sunset. "You must first evolve, and return. When you have, I will teleport you to Master Blastoise. He is a dear friend of mine, and he will give you something that will help you get to places few others could reach."_

"_Yes Master Xatu." I said calmly._

"_Take Alex and Liz with you." He said. "And give Alex, this." A small object appeared in front of me and I took it. "That is a 'Link Cable'. It is a strange artifact that will allow her to evolve. Strange though it is, it is required for her, and several others. But for now, it will let her become an Alakazam like her parents." I nodded and turned. The girls were still swimming across the lake. "Hurry to them. This should not wait for long. But I want you to return on foot while the girls teleport." I nodded and put the cable in my pack before sprinting at the water. I jumped high and spun a bit before hitting the water with my fists. I dove down and turned up, almost flying toward the surface. I surfaced a few feet from them and they looked at me as I made my way to them._

"_Goku, what is it?" Liz asked. I treaded water near them and smiled as my tail surfaced, the flame still burning in spite of the water._

"_Master Xatu says it's time for us to evolve." I replied. "Alex, he gave me a Link Cable, which you'll need to evolve. He wants us to teleport there and for you to teleport back without me while I run back. I guess he wants me to test my speed." They looked at each other and I moved closer. Alex took my right hand and Liz took my left. In a flash of light we were standing at the tunnel to the evolution cavern. The water dripped off of us as Liz shook quickly. I whipped my tail as they used their psychic powers to dry off. After I finished shaking and smoothing my fur rapidly I pulled out the cable and handed it to Alex before stepping aside and gesturing to the cave. "Milady."_

"_You go first." She said. I blinked. "You have to run back. So you go in and don't let us see what you turn into until we all get back to the mountain." I nodded with a smirk before walking down the path._

'_It's been a while.' I thought. 'I wonder if the voice will recognize me. Well, either way is cool. I forgot what it sounds like.' I walked into the light and looked up._

"_You have returned." The voice said calmly. I smiled. "You seek your final evolution?"_

"_I do." I said. The old feeling of rising into the air and the bright light that obscured my vision was accompanied by my cybernetics giving me the information of a 'hardware reconfiguration', this time giving me the form of an Infernape. When I was set down I turned to the path. "Thank you." I focused and used Agility several times before sprinting out of the cavern. I shot past them and nearly flew toward the mountain. I could see groups of Pokémon seemingly standing still as I grinned from ear to ear. 'Good grief, this is fantastic!' I made my way up the path and saw Xatu as he finished turning. When I stopped he was looking at me calmly. I let the focus on the Agility go and he nodded._

"_Impressive." He said. "I started turning just a moment ago. It took you ten minutes to run the whole way back. The girls only realized you had left the cave three minutes ago. They thought it was taking a while." I smiled and we turned our heads together just as the girls appeared._

"_Good to see you, girls." I said. Liz blushed as she looked at me, and then looked me over._

"_Wow, you, look so, different." She said._

"_A powerful Infernape indeed." Alex said. "Your fur has always been just a little darker than usual. Now it's much more noticeable." She looked at Xatu. "So, we are nearing the end of our training?"_

"_Indeed." He said calmly. He looked at me as I put my arms behind my head. "I will send you to Master Blastoise in a few moments. He will give you something that even I cannot use. I know that you can, as I have seen it." I nodded as he held out his wings. "He knows you are coming. Tell him I am fine." I nodded and suddenly found my surroundings changed vastly. There were tropical trees, the sound of the ocean, and sand under my feet._

"_Wow." I said. I looked around and pulled out my sunglasses. It was early in the day wherever I was. "Cool place."_

"_Indeed." A calm voice said. I turned and saw a flash of blue moving past me. "You are the one Master Xatu spoke of, the one from another world." I looked behind me and saw him moving all around me. I focused on Agility and looked back in front of me and saw him calmly walking. "Good, you are now, up to speed." I smirked as he stopped. He was fast for a Blastoise. I had incredible respect for him just because of his speed, but I always saw Blastoise as cyborgs because of the metal water cannons. "How is Master Xatu?"_

"_He is fine." I said. "A taskmaster, nearly unreasonable, but his methods are worth enduring." He laughed and seemed to slow down. He had learned Agility. I let go of my focus and he looked out to the ocean._

"_He sent you to receive a gift that I had once used to travel the world." He said. "I have no use for it anymore. This island is my home now, and I was looking for someone who could use it."_

"_What is it, exactly?" I asked. "Xatu never said what you were going to try to give me." He held his hand up to his mouth and let out an impressively loud whistle._

"_Nimbus!" He called. I stepped back and a gold cloud flew down and stopped in front of him. "This is my Nimbus cloud. There are many in existence, and they are incredibly, picky. Only those who are pure of heart are able to stand on them. If you can stand on it, it will take you anywhere in the world you wish to go." He stepped back and looked at me. "Give it a try. If you can stand on the Nimbus, it is yours. All you need to do to summon it is whistle or call out to it. It can never be destroyed, and if it is disrupted you need only wait a few days for it to recover." I stepped up to it and put my hand on it before jumping up on it. I stood calmly and he laughed. "Impressive. Nimbus didn't accept me at first. I had to purify my spirit under a waterfall for six months before it allowed me to ride it. And that was back when I was just a young Wartortle, long before even Wigglytuff became an explorer."  
…_

I opened my eyes as I approached the area near the cave. The day I got my Nimbus was interesting, though after I had left the island I never saw Master Blastoise again. I pushed the thoughts aside, unlocked my body, and jumped from the Nimbus, landing hard as I activated most of my cybernetics. I was going in hot, and I wasn't going to hold back.

"This should be interesting." I said quietly. I cracked my neck and started running. I was as ready as I could be. Six Agilities and two Calm Minds used, along with Bulk Up for good measure. Anything that attacked me would be cast aside effortlessly.

'So, you have come to face me after all.' A voice said quietly. 'I thought you would cast the letter aside or cower in fear. Many that were as strong as you have been defeated in the past. Are you sure that you wish to face me?'

"Whether or not I wish to, I will." I called. "I need that Bracer." The voice laughed for a moment as I turned a corner. "Laugh while you can. I'm not about to hold back for anything." At that moment I skidded to a halt and dodged a Hyper Beam. I pointed my right hand at the offender, a Machamp that was panting. I used my psychic abilities to throw him through a wall. There would be many floors in this dungeon, and I knew it was going to be a long day. "When I win, tell the rest of your lackeys to hold off. If I'm in here for the better part of the day…" I jumped through the hole and ducked under a Hitmonchan's right fist. I grabbed his left boxing glove and kicked him away, driving him a few inches into the far wall. "I'll want some fresh air while I fly back home." The voice laughed again as I walked calmly forward.

'Fine.' He said. 'If you defeat me, I will teleport you to the room just before the entrance so you may walk back. If not, I will simply teleport you to your Guild without your money and items.'

I walked through the tunnels calmly, keeping all of my senses sharp. There was no sound I didn't hear, no Pokémon in the shadows I didn't see, and nothing that evaded my notice whatsoever. It wasn't until I got down three floors with no trouble that I started to get unnerved.

"Voice, I take it you have followers?" I called. "Where are they? Have they decided that I'm too much for them? I was hoping for a challenge to be honest."

'Some of them are scared, yes, but the deeper you go, the stronger they are.' He said calmly. 'There are five floors left, and only this last one you are on is empty. You will get your challenge, unless you would prefer to just walk down and face me alone.'

"This is your home." I said simply. "Tell them to stand down or don't, I'm on my way and nothing is stopping me. I'm going to fight you, I'm going to defeat you, and I'm taking the Rainbow Bracer."

'We shall see how strong you are."' He said. 'I will tell them to be at their best, to not hold back. Should you make it, I will have several powerful berries for you to restore your strength to full. If not, I want you to try harder before you try to come back.' I smiled.

"Maybe I'll come back again someday for a rematch no matter what." I said. He laughed again as I started running. "Just prepare yourself. I'm not going to hold back from here on out." I laughed as I turned a corner leading down to the next floor. "Now I'm coming down even faster. I wanted to conserve my strength, but since you can help with that, I'm going to really get into this!" I went down and scanned ahead. It wasn't a linear path to it, but the way down between each floor was on the exact opposite end of each floor. I smiled as I reached a wall and gritted my teeth as I slammed my shoulder to it, making a large hole just a little bit bigger than my body. A Machamp spun around and I jumped over to him, slamming my feet into his chest and sending him through three walls before he landed on his back. "It'll take more than four arms to stop me!" I focused hard and created an Aura Sphere in my right hand and pointed it forward as a few Pokémon looked at the hole. I then started focusing heat into the Aura, making it turn orange. It was my Aura Blaze. It was a technique I had come up during my training, when Xatu told us to try to take a move he taught us and enhance it. I had managed to combine Fire Punch and Close Combat, as well as the other elemental punches with Close Combat. "Aura Blaze!" The Aura shot forward and melted the edges of the rock as the Fighting and Rock type Pokémon got out of the way as fast as they could. The sphere crashed through and melted the walls as I started running again. As I ran ahead I quickly charged a pair of Aura Spheres. As I went down the halls I had made I fired one at each Pokémon in the way, charging another instantly after each attack.

I used that tactic up until the last floor before my challenger, but that was where I stopped. It was just one long corridor, and the passage behind me closed. I looked around in the darkness.

'Let us see how you handle Dark types in their element.' His voice called eerily. There was maybe ten feet around me that I could see normally, so I turned off my head flame. 'They are at their best, and you shun your own light?'

"You will find that I am full of surprises." I said quietly. "Darkness does not bother me. If you know me as well as I imagine you do, you will know that I have two mates, one of which, is a beautiful Sneasel." His voice laughed as I activated my night-vision systems.

I saw no less than ten Sableye and a pair of Weavile, and they were all closing in calmly. I walked forward calmly and readied Ice Punch since it wasn't easily visible. Three of the Sableye rushed over to me and I stepped aside, punching the first two before spinning and grabbing the third with my tail. I slammed him into two of the others before rushing past with Agility, using Ice Punch on the rest of the Sableye.

The Weavile had used Agility as well, though they were still moving slowly compared to me. Very few Pokémon knew that Agility took a toll on the body of the user, and it took a while to get used to. Once you got used to it at certain levels you could go a step further. I was getting to the point of six Agilities at once, but I could use up to ten before I felt the strain.

"You, will, fall!" One of the Weavile yelled. Even his voice was slowed down. I rushed in and used a simple Mega Punch, tossing him into a wall. I spun to the other and used Mega Kick, grabbing her shoulder, and sent her over to her mate.

"If that's your honor guard, I'm not that impressed." I said calmly. I turned to the wall that led out into the next floor's path and turned on my head flame again as my night-vision was shut off. "I hope you prove a proper challenge."

'You're not finished yet.' He said, laughing quietly. 'To get to my chamber, there is one last guard. Feel free to use your Metal Coat against her. Perhaps she will pose the challenge the others didn't.'

I walked down the path until I walked into a tunnel lit with torches. At the end was, a dark red furred Infernape girl with her arms crossed. She was sizing me up as I grabbed the Metal Coat. She lowered her arms and cracked her neck.

"I will not let you win so easily." She said calmly. "I will protect my master."

"I'm not here to seriously hurt him, you know." I said quietly. I opened the jar and dipped my hand into the cold metal.

"I follow the one who defeats me and my master." She said.

"Interesting." I said. I smirked. I liked the second tone that came from the metal. It was like it was finishing the process of making me a machine. "So, are you ready?" She nodded as I looked around. The door behind her was shut tight, and there was plenty of room for an extended fight, and if she was as capable as my mysterious challenger said she was, it was sure to last at least a few minutes. She did a half turn and went into a familiar pose, and I mirrored her. 'This should be fun. Who is the better fighter between us?' We stayed motionless as I scanned her.

*Enemy: Infernape, female*  
*Estimated Level: 74*  
*Personal level: 78*

"You are strong." She said quietly.

"As are you." I replied calmly. "But I believe I will win." She smiled and rushed at me, vanishing for a split second. During that split, she had made it just short of where I stood, so I moved back as I blocked her rapid strikes. She was using a regular Close Combat attack, though she started using her tail partway through to try to throw me off, but I was countering her with only my hands. She jumped back but I rushed behind her. I was just a bit faster, because she had turned halfway before I could start my Close Combat assault. We traded blows for a few seconds before we both jumped back. We had officially traded places. "You're faster than I thought. I must say that I'm impressed." She was breathing hard, but I was calmly taking breaths.

"You are, much stronger than I had initially expected." She panted. "Perhaps, I will be able to go, all out." I smirked. "What?" I pulled my arms behind me and thrust them out together. A gust of wind put the torches out on my side, and I was in the shadows. "What is your plan?" I pulled out the pipe and quickly started inhaling and blasting out smoke. "Wait, Smokescreen? Infernape, cannot learn…" She started coughing as the smoke got closer to her. I rushed past her silently as she shot forward. As I moved back, the smoke went with her, but dispersed. "Where?" She turned around as I repeated my action of throwing a hard double palm forward that put out the other torches. "Darkness… You bested the Dark Room effortlessly without your flames." The last of the light was from her head flames and mine, but I let mine go out. "You, you let your fire go out?"

"I do every night back at the guild." I said calmly. My voice seemed to carry further in the near total darkness, and she looked around. I used my lowlight vision to see where the walls were, and she wouldn't know that. "You may want to surrender. I may be Fire and Fighting, but I have an advantage you don't know about yet."

"Oh, and what would that be?" She asked calmly. I smirked and focused on her intently. She gasped as I started lifting her, and she fought the mental grip. "Psychic? Y-you can't, learn, Psychic! You are, an In-Infernape!"

"I trained with Master Xatu for two long months." I said normally. "I have learned that Psychic powers are not specific to the type, as some Bug and Dark types can learn such moves, even a few Fighting types. You should know that." She groaned as I held her up and I charged an Aura Sphere in front of me, but stepped back a good distance. It took a lot of concentration to hold the Sphere in place, and more to keep her still, but the effort was worth it. "You should also know that Aura is not that difficult to use as you might think. Some are better suited, but anyone can use at least some level of it." I let go of her and she rushed forward as I moved to the side. I moved the Aura Sphere at her, and as I had expected she dodged it. "Close, but perhaps I'm not there." She ran at me but I jumped aside and rushed away. "Maybe I can give you some hints?" I jumped away again as she went after me. While she was distracted I moved the Aura Sphere at her, making her try to block it, but she was knocked aside several feet.

"Show yourself!" She yelled. "Are you so weak you need to hide from your betters to defeat them?" She stepped back slowly until she was only a few feet from me, and I smiled. My head flame burst back into existence as I focused Thunder Punch to my left foot, a Thunder Kick, but I added Aura to it as well. She tensed and I smiled wider.

"No." I said. "But I like to play with my equals." She spun around as I drew back my fist. As I threw it she moved to her right, just as I had expected. I launched the Aura Thunder Kick to her midsection and lobbed her up before launching a Close Thunder Combat attack at her. I called it my Thunder Blitz, while the counterparts were Fire Assault and Ice Crusher. She cried out as the strikes burned at her fur. The final hit was my combo of Thunder and Mega Punch, Mega Thunder Strike. She flew across the room and slid near the door. I took a few puffs of the pipe as I walked over to her. When I reached her she looked up at me as I knelt. "So, still think I'm weak?" She sighed and lowered her head.

"I, I never, thought of, combining attacks." She said quietly.

"Master Xatu trained me well." I said calmly. "But I've been combining Fire Punch and Close Combat for a while. He just helped me come up with more combinations." I pulled out a small jar of berry juice, a combination of Cheri and Sitrus, and set it on the ground. "Can you get up?"

"You would, heal me?" She asked.

"Yes." I said. "Because I have won." She sighed and tried to get up, but she couldn't, so I took her shoulders and rolled her over. She watched as I helped her into a sitting pose and removed the lid. "You are indeed a capable fighter, and I think if you trained harder, you could match my skill."

"You, you held back." She said quietly.

"No." I said calmly. "I just, didn't go truly all out. I used more than enough to beat you, but you didn't see the major part of what I've learned." She drank the juice until the jar was empty, and I put it away. She sat up on her own as I stood up. "Don't try to follow me after I defeat your current master though. Team Chaos has enough allies as of now."

"I will." She said. "Even if my master defeats you, I will follow you, to learn what you can teach me even if you do not actively do so." I walked up to the door but looked back at her. "Even if you do not let me join your, Team Chaos, I will follow you." I sighed.

"Please yourself." I said tiredly as I looked at the door. "I'm in no mood to argue." I let go of my focus and felt pain in much of my body from the high speed battle. "I'll see what the rules of the Guild say about something like this." I put my hand to the door and tried to push it open, but it didn't move. I stepped back and kicked it, knocking it off of one hinge, but it was still attached. "Wait at the entrance. I'll be out in a little while." I started walking but stopped and looked back. "What's your name?"

"Julie." She said quietly. I nodded.

"Julie, I hereby take you on as my apprentice." I said seriously. "There is much you will learn of in the coming weeks that will test your nerves and willingness to see this through. I hope you can cope with it all." She nodded as I turned and walked into the room. There was a light coming down from the middle of the room, as well as dozens of torches lining every wall at various levels. It was bright, which gave me an idea. The door closed and I smirked as a table appeared with a small drinking dish on it. "So, not showing until I've drank your Arbok Oil?" The voice laughed and I took the dish calmly. I sniffed it and swirled it slowly before drinking it. As I set the dish down, it and the table vanished.

'Sitrus, Cheri, Chesto, and all other curative berries.' He said calmly. He appeared before me and I raised my eyebrows. Much of his body was a medium dark gray, with two small squared ears on top of his head. He had a long purple tail, and the purple covered his groin area and part of his lower torso. He had three small fingers, round fingers at that. He had two toes with round tips and a small round toe on the inside of each foot partway up. I saw a small thing on the back of his neck, and it seemed like it was a second neck for something. He was nearly my height, and he had a feline face with calm features. 'I am Mewtwo, the strongest of all Psychic Pokémon.' I crossed my arms as I scanned him.

*Species data unavailable*  
*Level: Unknown*  
*Type: Psychic*

"Mew, Two…" I repeated. "Hmmm…" He crossed his arms as a small smile formed, though he probably didn't know if I could see it.

'You have gotten here fast, and have learned techniques few would imagine.' He said calmly. His lips never moved. He just spoke telepathically as he had before. 'You have trained under Master Xatu, a feat very few others have done, and survived. You ride the Nimbus, carry the staff of the Infernape King, and wear a coat of heavy metal. And yet, you are here for the Rainbow Bracer. Why?'

"Do you know what the future holds?" I asked calmly. He nodded. "The catastrophe that lingers requires many artifacts, but the one you have is practically unknown. I will use it to aid in saving this world. With it, I can channel all of the elements, and I can use attacks from all the types." His smile grew slightly as I lowered my arms. To my surprise he copied me. 'I take it you're reading my mind.' He nodded. 'Then you should know, that you're playing with fire.' I activated a subroutine that blocked him and he winced. "My power is considerable, but I know that if I hold back I'll end up being badly beaten. So I will go into this with everything I've got. I intend to use every advantage I can get." He nodded as he began levitating. "One thing I'll give you, I don't know exactly what you're capable of, so you have that advantage." I took my standard fighting posture. He seemed to be in thought, but chuckled quietly.

"But you have that advantage as well." He replied. I smirked. "However capable you truly are, through not holding back, you kept me from seeing the extent of your training. I look forward to seeing if you are able to defeat me, when dozens have never reached Julie's room. Only twice have I been bested in battle, and you have trained with one of them." I moved forward slowly as he began focusing his mind. I felt him grab me with his power and I dispelled his attempt with my Aura.

"Master Xatu." I said calmly. "He is powerful."

"As was the Blaziken." He said. I stopped and he summoned a green ball in his right hand, an Energy Ball. He threw it, but I knew his game. He wanted me off guard.

"Blaziken." I repeated. I punched the ball and he seemed surprised. "Is this the same Blaziken trying to get the other artifacts?"

"Yes." He replied. I focused and charged an Aura Sphere in my left hand, though I added a good deal of electric energy to it. "I told him that his artifact was not here, that mine was different. He defeated me, but he didn't want the Bracer." I rushed at him as I swung my right fist, he simply teleported repeatedly to avoid me. "He used only the power of the artifacts, never his own power. I know not how strong he truly is, but he believed me too weak to fight directly. Dark Pulses…" I nearly hit him and he teleported behind me, and punched me in the back. I was thrown across the room, but I left the Sphere behind. It exploded and sent him back a distance, but the paralysis effect didn't take hold. I stood up and looked at him as he stood up. He coughed and smirked. "Dark Pulses and Shadow Ball were his attacks of choice. He used moves I could not counter easily. Strong though I am, there are always stronger fighters outside of my cave."

"I agree." I said. "But one day, I will face him on my own. Win or not, I just need to buy the time." He focused again and I saw what looked like a blade of psychic energy. Psycho Blade, done differently. I grabbed my staff and spun it calmly. "How does it feel to have an honorable opponent of the Fire and Fighting combination?" He smirked.

"I am quite grateful that you are taking this seriously." He said. He rushed at me rapidly and I blocked his blade. The mystical properties of the staff blocked his psychic powers as though he had a real blade. I repeatedly blocked his strikes as we moved around his arena. "Your speed and agility are formidable. Were you truly going all out against Julie?"

"I was." I said. "Though, I was trying not to hit her too hard." I ducked and struck at him, though he created another blade to block me. Again we traded blows, dodging to change who was on the offensive and who was defensive. "How are you keeping up with me? You can't, read my mind!" I jumped back as he laughed.

"I know Agility." He said smugly. "And I can keep up use it to a higher level than you can." I smiled and felt a rush from how strong he was. "You seem to be…" He blocked a high speed assault and laughed. "Enjoying yourself."

"What can I say?" I said calmly. "I'm an Infernape!" I swung down hard and he flew back, though he was floating. "Geeze, I'm going to have to pull something big out of my bag of tricks." I laughed and focused my psychic power as much as I could. He held his hands beside him as I put my staff away. He started charging solar energy and my eyes went wide. 'Solar Beam…'

I smiled and adopted an odd stance. I held my hands together, my palms facing him, before turning slightly. I held them at my side, turning my palms slightly. I focused the light and added Aura to it, creating a blue Solar Beam charge. The sun was high in the sky, meaning I was charging twice as fast as he was. He seemed surprised as the ball grew. I focused harder and the ball grew even more. He pointed his hands at me with a confident laugh.

"Hyper Solar Beam!" He called. As it reached me I was suddenly far above him. He looked up as his beam collided with a wall and faded. It took a lot of focus, but I had used Teleport to avoid him. He seemed surprised when I vanished again and thrust my palms out at his chest. His eyes went wide, and his combination of Hyper and Solar Beam took more out of him than either attack alone.

"Solar Aura Beam!" I called proudly. The beam struck his chest and threw him back against the wall. The attack lasted for several seconds in a combination of yellowish green and silvery blue light before it ended, and I panted quietly as he slid to the ground. He was either out cold or very tired from taking such a devastating hit. "So, that takes care of…" I was suddenly tossed aside, skidding hard against the ground as he got up. I coughed as he laughed.

"A fighter using Teleport." He said musingly. "I never thought it possible." I stood up and countered his Psychic, but not the sudden stone coming out of the wall against me. I got up and dodged back several times as the boulder seemingly chased me. I caught it and fed my Aura through it to make him let go of it, and I shattered it. "But Recover is quite a gift. Just as you hit me I started it, and it kept me from losing. I'm surprised you believed it would be that easy." I made the rocks float around me, Aura infused so they couldn't be blocked so easily. I began throwing them at him but he just blocked them. The hit against the ground and the boulder running over me had actually done some noticeable damage. Part of my right shoulder was stinging, and a diagnostic showed that it had a few dents and a crack that were being repaired. In addition to the damage to my shoulder, my back was sore at some key points. It was enough that it was nearly the equivalent of the temporary paralysis. My speed was only diminished for running on my legs, but I couldn't levitate or fly for very long, and Teleport was out of the question. "I think the advantage is mine yet again." I grabbed my pipe and bit down on it carefully before using Calm Mind. I needed every possible enhancement I could manage.

"You are powerful, and I didn't expect the Recovery." I said calmly. "But only a fool believes he has won before his foe has fallen." He laughed and I made all of the rocks close in around him, but as I had expected he teleported in front of them. I smiled and made them explode behind him with the combined Aura between them. He was knocked forward and I opened my mouth and launched a Flamethrower laced with Aura at him. The flames were nearly white, and when they vanished he was visibly burned and in pain. "Let's see you Recover from that." He got up and groaned, but smiled. He would be affected as well with physical attacks, but he would also have trouble focusing on his psychic powers. This was good for me, because my own focus was fading.

"I don't think even Xatu was this capable." He said. "With him, it was a battle of will, and his use of multiple Aura enhanced Future Sight attacks. I can barely remember the last time I had this much fun in a fight." I laughed with him for a moment before I used my Aura to block a Future Sight attack.

"And you have to avoid giving me clues." I said. I groaned under my breath. My shoulder was bad, my back was bad, and we were on nearly equal footing. "What do you say we finish this now? One last attack from each of us, the best attack we can muster. Whoever falls, regardless of being out cold, loses the fight." He laughed and nodded.

"Fine." He said. "Sounds good to me. I don't think I could manage much more." I smirked and ran through my list of customized combo attacks. He took his Hyper Solar Beam stance, but the sun was now getting dim. It must have been near sundown. "I'm giving this my all. It's not much, so at least you're sure to live." I laughed as I thought of what I could do. I had one last ditch attack that would work, but one other idea came to mind.

'Yeah, that should do just fine.' I thought. I focused my mind for one more Teleport. I couldn't use anything to block a Hyper Beam or Solar Beam, let alone a combination of them. He threw his hand out and fired it. It was noticeably weaker, a thinner beam of dull yellowish green. It was more Solar Beam than anything. I teleported out of the way, right next to him, and when the attack faded he was visibly fatigued. He looked at me and I smirked. He closed his eyes but I simply put my finger to his shoulder, making him look at me as I pushed him over. He hit the ground with a surprised expression before he started laughing quietly. "And that's my final attack. I call it, Victory Poke." He laughed a little louder as I pulled out the staff and put one end in the ground to lean on. "Not really that powerful, but in a fight like this, using Thunder Punch seemed excessive." I laughed with him for a few minutes before he sighed. "So, what now?" He sighed again and got up slowly. I pulled out a couple of jars with Sitrus juice and handed him one. We opened them and I held mine up. "Cheers." He raised his jar and we drank them completely. I had several jars of juice, some mixed. Mine had a bit of Cheri in it, which dealt with the paralysis he had inflicted. I put them away as he used Recover to fix the rest of the damage before he walked into the setting sunlight. "So, Hyper Solar Beam." I turned to him as I put the staff on my shoulders, putting my hands on it casually while my Agility, Bulk Up, and Calm Mind were relinquished, and my cybernetics were deactivated. He nodded with a small smile. "Not bad."

"Aura Solar Beam though." He said. "It could have bested mine."

"After a few minutes of wasting energy." I said. "You had Recover prepared, so you could have attacked me while I would have to catch my breath from my combo." He laughed. "Thus the Teleport."

"Xatu taught you well." He said.

"He did." I agreed. "So, as I asked before, what now?" A light flashed and I saw a bracer in front of me, shining with every color imaginable. "Just like that?" He nodded and I lowered my left arm and slipped my hand into it. It formed and molded to the shape of the cloud-like shape that was already on my wrist.

"You are a great warrior." He said. "When the day comes for the event, I will join the Guild. I believe Wigglytuff will be happy to see me." I looked at him. "Yes, she came here many years ago, shortly after evolving. Her power was great then, and she nearly bested me. None of my attacks seemed to faze her. Throwing her around made her bounce, throwing rocks at her proved fruitless, and even my Psycho Cut only proved to annoy her. Her mind is, strange, and the effect of Psycho Cut uses my opponent's mind to cause them pain and think they are hurt. She was able to entirely ignore it." I laughed.

"She is unique." I said. "She'll be glad to see a friend." He laughed before nodding.

"When we face one another again, I believe you will win normally." He said. "Until the day we next meet I ask only that you train Julie well." I nodded and he held up his hand. I suddenly found myself looking out at the exit. I heard movement and turned to see Julie walking up to me. 'Farewell to you both.'

"Well then, let's see if we can make good time to the Guild." I said calmly. She blinked. "I'm flying there. I hope you don't get airsick." She nodded as I turned again and walked with her close behind me. I felt her stare and looked back as I stopped. But to keep her from being suspicious I pulled out the jar for the Metal Coat and opened it again. "So, anything you want to ask before we walk outside?"

"That staff." She said. "It looks, strange." I nodded as the metal oozed back into the container. I closed it and put it away and looked up at her.

"This is the staff of the Infernape King." I said casually. She took a step back. "And yes, that means I am to be the last one's successor." She put a hand to her chest. "Amazing isn't it? Me, the next Infernape King." I laughed quietly and looked ahead. "If I were to have heard that two years ago I would have just walked away from the person that said it and said it was crazy talk."

"And, now?" She asked. I looked at her.

"Well, I've got the staff, and that's proof positive." I said simply. "Only the Infernape King can pick it up, right?" She nodded as she walked behind me. "So, I've picked it up and fought of Mewtwo with it. I'd say that's about as strong as evidence as there can possibly be." I looked ahead and looked up at the sky. "Yeah, I'm definitely living a life of intrigue."

"Goku!" A familiar voice called. I looked down and saw a very familiar Sneasel running toward me with a bright look and a wide smile. "Goku, it's me!"

"Who is that?" Julie asked. I smiled and held my arms out.

"That is Jess, one of my mates." I said. Jess jumped into my arms and I hugged her tightly, but carefully. "It's great to see you Jess." She giggled as Julie walked ahead and looked at her. "But, how did you get here? It took me over two hours to fly here." She giggled as I put her down. She looked up at me as I took her hands. I looked up a bit and saw a strange sight. There was a white Weavile with black claws looking over at us with an odd reddish purple feathering, kind of like wine. She wore an open long sleeved ankle length black cloak, with many several chains. The chains were black, with a few partially silver ones. They were probably highly oxidized silver chains at one point in time. "Who is that?"

"A friend." Jess said. "It, it's a long story."

"Well, it looks like we both made new friends." I said. She looked over at Julie and I smiled. "This is Julie, my apprentice."

"Hello." Jess said, turning and holding out her claw. Julie slowly took it. "Nice to meet you."

"What do you say you tell us about what happened at the Guild?" I said. Jess nodded as she looked at me. I looked back to see that the Weavile was gone. I whistled as I raised my head and I heard Nimbus flying toward us. "It has been a long day for all of us I think."


	18. Teleport, stranded, new friend

**It's been a few weeks since the last post I did for this. The last chapter was a long one, but a lot happened there. This is a standard chapter, and while it may seem unfair to our lovely little Sneasel, she's got some spotlight coming up. She is a main character, and has a fairly important role for the future.**

**Now, as one chapter dealt with a day in the life of an easily annoyed, but undeniably powerful Charizard, now is the time to deal with a few hours in the life of a love struck Sneasel. There may be images from the lives of even others, perhaps one from the eyes of a certain fire type on a quest all his own if anyone particularly wants it, though it may actually be posted solely on its own, as a one shot dealing with a day in his life after a difficult battle ending in a narrow victory.**

**And from the last chapter you'll remember a white Weavile with chains. She will appear this time, named and given some measure of depth. She is not my character. She was created by Weaver Chance, whom I thank for allowing me the temporary use of her. I can't give away much at all, but if you contact Weaver, and ask nicely enough, he may just answer a few questions. I can't say though. It's up to him whether or not he wants to spoil more than I have.**

**That said, I want to thank Mariokutai-Reincarnated and Chaotyx for their work in beta reading for me. I'm quite grateful for all the help they give. Despite what some of you may think, I'm a bit of an amateur when it comes to writing. I'm improving, but I make no claims of being professional and I try to remain aware of my weaknesses, and I'm very thankful for any notes on where they are.**

**Before the standard Disclaimer is said, there was a reviewer for my more recently done request, The Grass Is Always Greener, and it was anonymous. If, by chance, you, Morrigan, read this, creating an account is free, so you can leave a review that I could respond to. I'd like to, very much, to make the points I need to make, but this is not the place. So, if you read this, I can give you an explanation if you send me a private message.**

**Disclaimer: I, Lord Genesis Shadow, do not own the rights to Pokémon or Pokémon Mystery Dungeon. By association, Weaver Chance does not own the rights. He does own creative license over his character, Rei. Thank you, and have a nice day.  
…**

I kept my eyes training around the area as I walked toward the damaged area of the forest. There was evidence of a few battles, bad ones, along with chains on the ground and more than a few cage impressions. The signs of large Pokémon were very obvious. Most prominent were large bird Pokémon talon impressions, and one set was instantly recognizable.

'Liz, I've found the area.' I sent quickly. 'The rumors were right, but there's more. Honchkrow herself seems to have come here, along with, something big. Looks like she had a group of Machoke with her.' There was a moment of silence, no doubt Liz relaying the message to the others. I was scouting ahead, mostly to check for traps. I'd uncover them or otherwise make them noticeable.

'Alice says she's spotted movement nearby.' She sent. 'I can see it as well. It looks like a group of dark types, as well as a handful of water types. It's like they were expecting us this time.'

'Goku warned them.' I sent. I knelt and looked at a small toy on the ground, a stuffed Mankey doll, and a familiar set of footprints. My eyes widened at the thought. 'Liz, there was a young Sneasel here.'

'What?' She asked.

'A young Sneasel, with a stuffed Mankey.' I replied quickly. 'The Honchkrow Guild is full of thieves, slavers, and worse. They might have taken this Sneasel as, a slave.' I got up and looked around. 'We need to find them.'

'Okay.' She sent quickly. 'But be careful, Arthur says there are serious traps here. Something called a 'Hyper Teleport Ring' that sends whoever steps on it over a hundred miles, to a random location.' I looked around and took a step back and heard a noise.

'I'll be…' I started to send, but something happened. Before I could finish the thought, I was blinded by a golden light, and when I could see I saw that I was in an icy mountain pass. 'Liz?' There was silence for a minute before I turned around a few times. 'Oh no, I hit, that stupid trap. Where am I?' Unfortunately I didn't have a map, so I was well and truly lost. 'How could I have been so stupid? It made a sound for crying out loud.' I drew my arms up and put my claws on my upper arms. 'Great, just what I needed right now. I'm lost, the others might end up in trouble, and there's, nothing I can do except, use an Escape Orb.' I reached for my pack and my eyes went wide. I looked down and saw that it was gone. "No, no, where is it?" I looked around for a few seconds before I felt a chill up my spine. All I had on me was my badge and the necklace Xatu had given me. "No Rescue Pack, no Escape Orbs, no, nothing." I swallowed hard and nearly panicked, but I stopped myself before I got going. "Okay, I'll just find out which way North is, and then I can just, start heading…" I couldn't finish my idea. Even if I found North, there was no telling which way the trap had sent me. I was lost, and there was no way for me to tell where the nearest town was, where the nearest Rescue Team was. "Wait, my badge." I put my claws on it and looked it over, but it seemed, different. There was a miniature Escape Orb built into every single Rescue Team Badge for emergencies, set to trigger when the wearer was rendered unconscious, but it was a different type, made from different material, and was called an Emergency Rescue Crystal, or an E-Crystal by some. It could be used as many times as one could want, or need, so it could be used to Rescue someone, which sent them to the place the badge was 'tied' to. "Oh no, this place, has a seal on it. Great." I set it back on my chest and sighed angrily. I couldn't manually activate the return function, because no Orbs would work. "Great." I heard a loud roar and turned to see a Steelix launching itself from a wall a good distance away, but it turned to me and let out another roar. I stepped back as it started charging at me. "Oh, oh no." I turned and started running. I had no moves that would affect it enough, unless I could freeze it, but that wouldn't work too well.

I ran for a few minutes before I ended up in a small box canyon, and I heard the Steelix growling. I turned and looked up at it fearfully. It had the advantage. Steel against ice, that was something I couldn't win against, not alone. I had my dark attacks, but it wouldn't be enough, even if I could get a lucky hit.

"Little, freak!" It roared. I put my claws up in front of me, mostly to protect the badge. Even if it knocked me out, the badge would save me as long as the Emergency Crystal wasn't broken too much right away. If it broke, it would instantly activate, as long as it was more than half intact. I closed my eyes as its head started glowing, an Iron Head attack, and it moved forward as though to crush me.

I heard a loud crash followed by a series of thudding noises. Slowly, I opened my eyes and saw someone standing in front of me. It was a Weavile, but differently colored than any I'd ever seen before. And it wore a long black cloak with, black and silver chains all over it. Instead of the usual colored feathering on its head, it was kind of, reddish purple, like Grepa wine almost. I saw its claws, and they were black with little silver scratches, runes almost in a language I didn't know. There was also a brown sack attached to a chain on its waist.

But what surprised me was, that the Steelix was on the ground, out colder than the ice all around us. The Weavile stood up and adjusted the cloak slowly before turning. I couldn't help but have my eyes drawn to _her_ eyes. They were purple with pupils shaped like six point stars, and her fur was, white as snow.

"Are you okay?" She asked. I nodded shakily.

"Y-yes, thank you." I said quietly. I put my right claw to the badge. "But, I was, kind of hoping that it would have knocked me out." I looked at the shining gold badge, the diamond in the center gleaming serenely. "It would have, triggered the failsafe and sent me home."

"Oh, I, I am sorry." She said. "I didn't know. I thought it was going to really hurt you though." I shook my head.

"No, it's okay." I said. "I'm sure my friends would have been more worried if they came back and I was hurt." I held out my claw. "Thank you, for saving me." She smiled and took my claw in hers, and it caused me to notice the chains on her wrists, almost like they were cuffing her wrists. But despite that appearance, they had a lot of slack, like it was to look cuffed, but it wouldn't interfere with her arms or attacks. Something was odd about her, and not just her strange coloration, and the fact that she was much taller than I was. She was over four feet tall, though not by much, but still, that wasn't it. Something just felt, empty about her, but I couldn't place it.

"Why are you here though?" She asked. "Not many Pokémon come through here that do not live here." I put my claw behind my head and looked down bashfully.

"I was, stupid, and stepped onto this trap." I said. "It teleported me here and, that Steelix spotted me. There's a seal that keeps me from just, running away now, and I don't have my kit." I looked at her. "I'm Jess, a member of a Rescue Team, Team Chaos." She smiled slightly.

"I see." She said. "Perhaps I can knock you out without hurting you too badly, if you want." I shook my head.

"N-no." I said quickly. "I just, need to know where I am. I want to try to make my own way home first, but if I pass out, at least I'll get home that way." She nodded and I looked around. "But, I, I'm lost here." I laughed nervously and sighed. "Oh, this is kind of, tough. My friends are probably worried about me right now, or they might need my help. I, I don't know where this place is."

"I can help you." She said. I looked at her curiously. "I know of a Guild that is run by a Wigglytuff. Is that where you're trying to go?" I nodded quickly.

"Yes, yes it is." I said. "Wigglytuff is our Guild Master." She smiled.

"It is a long way from here, but it is not too far." She said. "I will show you to the path. Just be careful. Though it would seem a good place for ice types, the area is rife with steel types and more than a few rock types." I nodded as she started turning. "I am Rei, Rei Nhadic." She held out her claw again, which I took gratefully.

"I'm Jess." I said. "Thank you." She smiled and let go of my claw before turning and walking. I quickly caught up and we were silent for a few minutes. "So, what are you doing here?" She looked at me. "You said that, not many Pokémon travel through here. So why are you here?"

"Oh, I'm looking for, my partner." She said quietly. "Don't worry though, I have a good idea where he is. I was on my way to find him when I heard the Steelix. I thought he would be near, since Steelix rarely roar like that unless they're attacking someone."

"Oh." I said. "I hope he's alright." She laughed quietly.

"He's fine, trust me." She said. She sighed quietly. "Oh, he'll be just fine by the time I find him. He's way tougher than I am." I nodded and walked by her and she looked ahead for a second. "So, is there anyone, waiting for you in your Guild?" She looked at me and I blushed, but I nodded with a small smile.

"Yes, I do." I said. "I have, a few friends, and, a mate." She smiled and looked ahead.

"What's he like?" She asked.

"He's really nice." I said quietly. "He's, an Infernape." She looked at me curiously.

"A, fire, and fighting type?" She asked. I nodded with a deepening blush.

"Y-yeah." I said. "But, he loves me, and, Liz."

"He has another mate?" She asked. I nodded as she looked at me.

"I'm, I'm okay with it." I said quickly. "He loved her before me, and, then he, fell in love with me too. We're all okay with it." She seemed confused, but she smiled.

"Well, if you're all happy with it, I guess that's your choice." She said. I heard a quiet sound and looked above us. There was a trio of rock types, two Gravelers and a Golem. "What is it?"

"Up there." I said quickly. She looked up and I gasped as the trio jumped from the edge of the rock wall. I turned and ran up to a wall as they got close, and I ran partway up, but I looked 'up' and saw Rei just standing there, watching the rock Pokémon as they fell. I jumped off right as they hit the ground, using a triple Magnitude attack on her. "Rei!" I landed at the end of the attack, but I fell on my stomach as she looked at me, as though she hadn't even noticed the attack. She smiled and suddenly started spinning rapidly, and the sound of rattling chains filled the air as her coat's chains began hitting her attackers.

"Chain Twister!" Her voice called. As she stopped spinning I saw that the Golem was smashed into the wall and the Gravelers were both nearby their leader, all of them out cold. She walked over as I got up.

"Wow." I said quietly. "How, how did you take that, Magnitude attack?" She giggled into her claw.

"I'm tougher than I look." She said. "Now, let's go, shall we?" I nodded and started following her again. After a while though I couldn't contain my curiosity. She had used the chains in that attack, but through all of her spinning she wasn't even walking a little out of step. She wasn't dizzy at all. By all accounts, she should have been all but falling over on her face after spinning that fast.

"Rei, how, how did you, spin like that, but not get dizzy?" I asked. She just shrugged.

"I don't know." She said. "I just, don't." She looked at me. "But I don't really wonder about stuff like that. It works for me. You know what they say, right?" I shook my head. "If it ain't broke, don't fix it." She laughed as she looked ahead.  
…

As we walked along, there were more than a few Pokémon that attacked us, but luckily the rock and ground combo types were easy enough for me to beat, and Rei didn't have much trouble either. I'd fire an Ice Beam and knock one out, but when I looked back to see my next foe, she was walking down the path, the groups that she had fought were always out cold after a short sound of chains. She told me that she liked using them instead of her ice attacks, which she never used. She didn't say why, but I didn't worry.

She was strong enough with her 'Chain Smash', which was her version of Iron Tail, or Chain Twister, which I had seen before. She also used 'Shadow Claw', a ghost type attack that covered her claws in shadows, and a move she called 'Ghostly Swipe', which was like the Shadow Claw, but she threw the shadows which, she said homed in on their targets.

If she did use an ice type attack though, I'd be willing to bet that she could easily overpower my best one. Throughout the whole trip though, she would occasionally pull out a few berries for me to eat when I got hurt, or if somehow I got paralyzed. She had all kinds of things in the sack, or the myriad of pockets in her cloak.

"Jess, are you really happy with your life?" She asked suddenly. I looked at her. "I mean, being part of a Rescue Team, being the Beta mate of an Infernape, and sharing him with a Gardevoir?" I nodded.

"I am." I said. "Goku takes care of us, and he loves us equally. I just, wanted Liz to be his primary mate because, well, she's known him the longest, and she's loved him since she was a Kirlia and, he was a Monferno, maybe even longer." She smiled. "Goku always makes sure we've got everything we need to make us happy."

"Like your necklace?" She asked. I shook my head.

"This is from Goku's master, Xatu." I said.

"Master?" She asked. "He is, a servant of this, Xatu?"

"No, nothing like that." I said. "He trained Goku and Liz, and all of my other friends." Memories came back to me about the days I had tried to train.

"But, not you?" She asked. I shook my head and we stopped.

"No, I, I couldn't." I said. "His training was, difficult. We had to go without food if we didn't finish a lesson. I, went for three days without food and, nearly passed out on the way up his mountain. I left for the Guild and, Goku found me, crying in front of the Guild because I ran out of strength right there." I touched the badge. "He made me remember my dream."

"What dream is that?" She asked, seemingly curious. "It must be important." I nodded.

"My mother, she, was a great Rescue Leader." I said, looking at my claw. "She was a Sneasel, but she could have been a Weavile if she wanted to be. But she liked herself as a Sneasel." I looked at her. "She had the second highest rank a Rescue Team can get, the Master Rank. The only one higher, is Guild Master. Only a few Pokémon teams ever get to Master, but, only a handful have _ever_ gotten to be Guild Masters."

"Like Wigglytuff." She said. I nodded.

"Mom was different though." I said. "She, she only had one team member with her. M-my father, a strong Weavile. He wasn't as fast as mom, but he could almost keep up. He said he'd be with her until he was stronger, and, then he'd think about staying on." I smiled. "He did. He stayed with my mom, and they became a Master Rank Rescue Team. Team Black Ice." I looked at the ground as I remembered my parents. "No one was faster back then, and, and no one could ever get past their combination attack. Mom used Ice Beam, and dad would use Dark Pulse, creating their signature Black Ice Beam. It froze their enemies, and they wouldn't be able to see out of the ice until they thawed." The old memories started surfacing. "One day though, I remember Officer Magnemite, coming by my home and, and telling me to come to the Guild." I looked away. "I went with him and, and mom was, lying on a bed, covered in blood and, clutching a Sharp Claw, the one my dad carried with him, in case mom wanted to evolve. But, when I asked her what happened, she told me, he, he was, a hero."

"I am sorry." She said quietly. I sniffed and looked at her, and she was holding a handkerchief out to me. I took it and wiped my eyes. "Did she, tell you what happened?" I nodded.

"She said that, he had fought some kind of, super Pokémon." I said. "She didn't know what it was, but, it beat him really badly. It knocked mom's badge into a crevice, and an Earthquake attack smashed it completely. Then, they were attacked and mom, was hurt bad. Dad gave her his badge as she started coughing, coughing up, blood." I sniffed again and wiped my eyes. "Dad gave her the claw and cracked the badge, which, sent her to the guild, but, not before she saw him launch their attack together, freezing the creature and, himself."

"Perhaps, he is still alive." She said. I shook my head.

"I wouldn't know where to look." I said. I lowered my claws and sighed, pushing the painful memories back. "But it, it doesn't matter now." I looked at her. "Goku's kindness when I got back, reminded me of what it means to be part of a Rescue Team. It's trusting your friends, helping others because it's right, and always looking for a way to become better than who you were when you woke up. Goku, took me as part of his team because of my dream, and he didn't even know why it was my dream." I held up my claws. "Goku, reminds me so much of my father, because I know if Liz and I were in danger, he'd do whatever it takes to protect us, even if he had to sacrifice himself to do it." She smiled. "My dream is to be part of a Master Rank Rescue Team, and, we're Diamond Rank now. We're _so close_, and I _know_ we'll get to Master Rank someday. I promised my mother that I would do it, because I wanted to be like her, and I won't stop until I've made her proud."

"It sounds like you've got a good dream." She said. "I know you will make it come true." I nodded with a small smile. "Goku sounds like a good mate. I am sure he will always love you. But if he does not, let me know and…" She giggled. "I shall remind him of how much you love _him_."  
…

After an hour or so of walking there was a large cave in the distance, and the ice and snow was finally gone from our sight. We stopped and she sighed. The sun was starting to set.

"Just follow this path and you will see the town in a day or so." She said. "It is not too far, but, I was travelling northwest. I must find my partner." She turned and held out her claw, which I took.

"Thanks Rei." I said. "I'm really grateful for all you've done. I know my friends are probably still worried, but I think I can get back to town in about six hours if I hurry." She giggled. "Agility. I'm used to it."

"Well, tell Goku he is lucky to have you." She said. "And Jess, I know you will fulfill your dream, especially with your friends." I nodded and looked at the cave, and I gasped.

"Goku!" I said quietly. She looked over as a pair of Infernape walked out, and one of them wore a familiar silver scarf and black sunglasses. "The one with the scarf." I looked at her as she nodded her head toward him.

"Go get him then." She said. "I think I will watch, but I must leave soon. If I do not, I may have a longer task ahead of me." I nodded and she hugged me suddenly. "I am sure we will meet again, but should we not, I wish you good fortune on your path." I returned her hug before she let go of me. I turned toward Goku and ran toward him. "Goku!" They looked over at me and my smile widened. My heart was practically soaring. "Goku, it's me!"

"Who is that?" The female Infernape asked him. Goku held his arms out with a wide smile.

"This is Jess, one of my mates." He said. I jumped to him and landed in his arms, and he hugged me as I wrapped my arms around his shoulders. "It's great to see you Jess." I giggled as the Infernape walked ahead of us, and I could feel her staring at me. "But, how did you get here? It took me over two hours to fly here." I giggled happily as he set me on the ground, and I looked up at him as he took my claws in his hands. He looked up and I could tell he was looking at Rei. "Who is that?"

"A friend." I said. "It, it's a long story."

"Well, it looks like we both made new friends." He said. He looked at the other Infernape and I looked as well. "This is Julie, my apprentice." I smiled as I turned to her.

"Hello." I said, holding my claw out to her. She took it slowly and I shook her hand. "Nice to meet you."

"What do you say you tell us about what happened at the Guild?" Goku said. I nodded and looked at him. He looked back to where he was looking before and I had a feeling that Rei was gone by his expression. He suddenly whistled and looked up after a second. I could hear his Nimbus flying toward us. "It has been a long day for all of us I think."


	19. Return, love, lust

**Another Friday, and another chapter for Jack's Journey. Seems I hit a good groove for it this month, and the chapters feel pretty good. That's a rare occurrence, but a very welcome one nonetheless. I'm also doing great personally. I've got both of the new Pokémon games, the new Dragon Quest VI, and Dragon Age II. As far as RPGs go, I hit a good large combo and should be occupied with them for weeks, while still maintaining constant inspirational points that get me to writing new chapters.**

**As usual I thank Mariokutai-Reincarnated and Chaotyx, and I'm consistently grateful for everyone who reads and reviews. That said, I kind of wish there were more reviewers, you know? Help me gather the general thoughts and try to further improve and hone my technique.**

**Also, this chapter ups the rating to an M, though not for violence. The violence in some chapters will be a little stronger, for certain reasons, but generally there will be stronger fight scenes.**

**Disclaimer: I, Lord Genesis Shadow, do hereby state that I do not own the rights to Pokémon or Pokémon Mystery Dungeon. My faithful Beta-Readers also do not own the rights. If we did, the games would be different.  
…**

I flew toward the forest that Jess had been in. She didn't feel ready to call it until we'd checked it out. Julie was skeptical at first, but she agreed to follow my orders. She couldn't sit on the Nimbus though, so she clung to my back while Jess stood in front of me. I still felt a little sore from my battle with Mewtwo, but I wasn't really even close to being done for the day. At most my combat ability was only slightly hampered, and only enough that someone like Master Xatu, Mewtwo, or maybe a Legendary Pokémon would be able to take advantage of. But the Rainbow Bracer gave me a trump card. With a little talking to from Liz or Alex, I could learn Recover. I was now more capable than ever, even weakened.

"Goku, we're getting close." Jess said. I looked down and saw the area beneath us. There was a clearing, with a lot of signs of activity. "This is where I hit the trap."

"What's she saying?" Julie asked. I looked back at her.

"We're over the area where she hit the trap." I said loudly. "We'll head down in a second."

"Goku, you have a plan?" Jess said. I looked at her as she looked up at me, and I just nodded.

"Got a good one." I said. I looked down and focused Aura into my palms, pointing them at the field. I let out a wide pulse that hit the whole area and caused a shockwave that made some traps visible but outright destroyed some others, but the area itself was unharmed. "There. Simple." I flew us down and Jess jumped off while I set my feet on the ground. "Okay Julie, you can climb down now." She slowly got off of me and I stretched slightly. "Now, to check in with Liz and the others, if they're here." I closed my eyes and felt around with my Aura. It helped to know where they were when sending telepathic messages, but it was always easy when you had a connection to the recipient. "I can't, sense them anywhere nearby, but there are faint traces of their presence. They were here, but nowhere near the teleport trap." I opened my eyes and looked at Jess as she grabbed her pack.

"But if they were here, why didn't they grab my pack?" She asked. "It doesn't make sense."

"If you can sense that they were here, can you tell what happened?" Julie asked. I closed my eyes and focused again, sensing very little.

"No battle, but, potential enemies." I said quietly. "There is other Aura, but what I can feel is, less than dangerous. Mostly local Pokémon, trying to avoid this area. I can, feel specific Auras that were here. Alice, Liz, and Arthur. But, Yuki and Alex, were elsewhere. Scouting perhaps." I opened my eyes. "But they teleported out of here. I'd surmise that they teleported away for some reason." I looked around. "We should head back to the Guild and see if that's where they went. If not, we'll see Xatu." Jess nodded and I held my hand out to her. She took it and I looked at Julie. She slowly held out her hand and I put mine on her wrist.

"So, we are to, fly again?" She asked. I shook my head.

"No, I've recently managed something no normal fighting type has managed before." I said. I closed my eyes. "This is the technique that let me defeat my challenger." I let out a breath and used Calm Mind before seeing the Guild steps in my mind's eye. When my eyes opened we were standing there, and Jess was laughing quietly.

"Wow." She said excitedly. "You, teleported us."

"Simply, amazing." Julie whispered. "To defeat my old master, with a technique he knows well, you must have trained, with impossible intensity." I looked at her as I let go of their hands.

"Well, Calm Mind helps." I said. "As does my new Rainbow Bracer."

"And, it is used, for what?" She asked. "Enhancing psychic powers?"

"No." I said. "But it allows any Pokémon to use any type of move, so long as they understand the basics behind it. Teleport is simple enough. Envision your destination, and focus your innate psychic ability, and there you are." She let out a quiet breath.

"Well, perhaps, you can teach me?" She asked. I nodded.

"And luckily for you, you're already strong enough that you can skip that training." I said. "You just need realization training. You have the power to do great things, but you need to realize that your potential is more than just a normal attack. Combine them, and learn the way of Aura and the power of psychic ability." She nodded as I gestured to the door. "For now though, I smell something good being cooked, and I'm hungry." Julie looked at me and then at Jess, who had a claw to her mouth as she giggled.

"Are you, serious?" Julie asked. As I opened my mouth to answer, my stomach let out a fairly loud growl, and Jess fell onto her side clutching at her ribs as she laughed. "You, you are serious."

"Well, I'm hungry." I said simply. "It's been a long day of fighting for all of us. You can't say you're not hungry." She opened her mouth and another growl was heard, and she blushed deeply while Jess cried out with laughter.

"W-well, what about your friends?" Julie asked quickly. "Where are they? Are they, here or, or not?" I smiled and closed my eyes, and I almost instantly sensed them. When I opened my eyes and turned, I saw Liz running out.

"Goku!" She called happily. I held out my arms and suddenly she was right in front of me, her arms wrapped around me as tight as an Onix using Bind. I moved my arm around her as Jess sighed and got up. I held out my other arm and she moved over, hugging my side. "Jess, you're okay."

"I am." She said. "I just, had a little adventure, found Goku, and got my stuff back." They moved back from me and I smiled.

"We've got a lot to talk about, but first." I said, gesturing to Julie. "This is my apprentice, Julie." Liz looked at her and slowly curtsied.

"H-hello." She said quietly. "It is nice to meet you."

"Uh, likewise." Julie said. At that moment another stomach growled, but it wasn't Julie, and it wasn't me. We all looked at Jess and she just put her hand behind her head, her tongue sticking out slightly. "And, I keep hearing about, food?"

"Oh, yes, dinner is just about ready." Liz said quickly. "I'll let Girafarig know to have another place set for you." She looked at me and I nodded. She smiled and moved up to me, kissing me quickly. "I'm glad you're back. There's a lot we need to talk about, but, I'm glad you weren't hurt." She walked away and I saw Alex watching with a small smile. When they had walked away I sighed.

"So, two mates." Julie said. I smirked as Jess walked ahead of me, but I started walking as well, moving my tail around her shoulders.

"For each rough patch in my life, it was worth it, just for my girls." I said. Jess giggled and gently touched my tail.

"Though, Jess is a little, short." Julie said. I looked at Jess as she slowed down a little. "You are much taller, as is Liz." I moved my hand to Jess's head and gently stroked her down to her neck, making her look up at me as I looked into her eyes.

"Size doesn't matter." I said simply. "I love Jessica." She just smiled as I stroked her cheek.

"Well, it is for your heart to decide." Julie said. "I would not interfere with your life, Master Goku." I smirked as we walked in, and I could really smell what was being made for dinner. It was a good feast.  
…

I sat down on my coals and sighed quietly, letting a little heat out to distort the air. Liz was filling Julie in on how things would work, showing her around the Guild, and introducing her around to the other teams. Jess was settling on her ice, and I felt quite content.

"Goku, how do you, feel right now?" She asked suddenly. I looked at her with a smile.

"I feel, great." I said. "A full stomach, hot coals to rest in, and…" She chose that moment to bend over, facing away from me, deliberately. "And the view, is incredible." She let out a shy giggle as she stood up, stretching in a suggestive manner. I knew right away what her plan was. And that plan, was working.

"I think the view is great from here, too." She said quietly. She winked at me and moved onto her ice, slowly settling on her back with her legs slightly splayed. I knew exactly what she was trying to tell me. "And, we've got some time to kill."

'Goku, I can sense something in our room.' Liz sent quietly. 'Why don't you, help her out, and I'll come by in a little while. Julie wants to buy some things in town so she can truly feel like a part of our group, like she has a 'uniform'.'

'Okay.' I sent. 'See you in a bit.' I got out of the coals silently and focused the cold power of an Ice Punch to cool myself off. The heat didn't hurt her, but it made her uncomfortable, and I wanted to make sure she really enjoyed herself. To that end I turned off my flame and walked over to her. She looked up at me and I knelt in front of her. "I think I know how to pass some time." She smiled as I leaned forward and kissed her cheek. "If you want to." She moved her claws gently to my chest and started feeling my fur.

"I think this is, the perfect way to while away, half an hour?" She suggested. I smirked and kissed her, moving my hand to her collar gently. She moved slightly and I closed my eyes as my hand moved down her body. She seemed to be responding a little differently though. I ended the kiss and opened my eyes, and she seemed to notice that I knew something was amiss.

"Is something wrong?" I asked quietly. "You seem, distracted."

"Oh, you noticed." She said quietly. I moved my hand to her cheek and she sighed quietly. "Julie. What she said about, my size. I'm, I'm small." I slowly moved my arm around her and she slowly hugged me.

"I love you." I said quietly. "It doesn't matter how tall you are, because you are my mate." She moved her face into my chest.

"But it matters to me." She said quietly. "You, you're so tall. I, I'm, barely half your height. I'm so much smaller than you, that you have to be careful not to hurt me, when we do this." I hugged her close and rubbed her back slowly. "I, I want, to evolve, but, I really don't know if I'm ready."

"Because of your mother?" I asked. She nodded. "I understand wanting to feel you made her proud, but, you can't be your mother. You have to be yourself." She inhaled quietly and I slowly moved my hands to her shoulders. "This is a big choice. You can't rush it, but if you really think you want to, then you should listen to your heart." She inhaled again and sighed quietly.

"I want to be, able to look you in the eye, and not have to have you look down." She said quietly. "I want to be able to really hug you, and, kiss you without having to have you pick me up or bend down to meet me." I looked at her and rubbed her back a little slower. "Would you, still think I was, pretty, if I were a Weavile?"

"I would." I said. "Because you'd still be my mate." She laughed quietly and moved back a bit, and I saw her eyes brighter than usual. I gently touched her chin and she looked at me, and for once we were eye to eye, just because I was still on my knee. She moved closer and kissed me again, passionately. I could feel her love for me again and I slowly started rubbing her back again before she slowly made me turn. I slowly moved down, lifting her with me as my back settled on the ice. She ended the kiss and breathed quietly for a moment before looking at my body. I smirked and thought of something I knew she'd like. I slowly moved up the ice to the wall and she watched me curiously. "I think, that this should be…" I sat up against the wall and she smiled as her small body rested against my chest, and my arousal started coming out of the protective sheath. She smiled wider as she moved her legs back a bit, moving so that I was growing just behind her. "Easier."

"So, I can look at you, instead of watching your, chest." She said quietly. I nodded and she slowly stood up and looked down at her legs. There was a little wet spot on my midsection, but she was focused on my now fully erect manhood. She guided herself over me and looked up at me. I gently moved myself into position and she leaned forward to kiss me. She slowly lowered herself onto me. She let out a quiet moan and I slowly moved my hips with hers. The difference in size with our bodies made things awkward at times, but this time was different. With me sitting on the ice and her on my lap like this, it felt like something was different, but better. She ended the kiss and exhaled quietly. "Jack, this, this is, the first time, I, I got to, go first." I smiled and moved my hand to her chest. The one hand alone covered much of her chest, and my fingers brushed against her nipples, making her moan quietly.

"I think we could do this a little more." I said quietly. "I'm sure Liz wouldn't mind indulging you every now and again." She set her claws on my shoulders carefully and started pulling herself up to lower herself further. I saw her knees on the ground when she lowered herself, and she was nearly getting up each time she raised herself up. I moved my other hand down to her waist and started touching her most sensitive spots, causing her to breathe faster and harder, and she moaned a little more frequently. I kissed her lips and she quickly slipped her tongue into my mouth and moaned a bit louder as my fingers slowly worked their magic on her. It wasn't like we were constantly making love every night or so. We were often tired, or just not in the right mood for it, but I knew her body well. 'Jessica, are you enjoying yourself?'

'Yes Jack, yes, I am.' She sent quickly. 'I love you so much.' I moved my hand from her chest to the back of her neck gently and the kiss deepened until she ended it, lowering her head as she cried out quietly. I moved my hands to her waist as my limit became more and more noticeable, and she was starting to tire out from the effort of lifting herself repeatedly. As my hands reached her waist, she moved her claws to my arms and I began raising her up before quickly meeting her partway, which caused her to cry out a bit louder. "J-Jack!" She became tighter around me and she kept moaning and crying out as she looked up. I felt another presence, but I knew it was Liz. I saw her out of the corner of my eye, leaning on the wall with a smile. But it wasn't just a normal smile. There was a bit of lecherousness to it. She enjoyed watching me make love to Jess, right from the start. "Jack, yes, please! Please, I, I want you, inside me!" I smiled as she started helping me along, moving forward and kissing me. She tried to speak telepathically but her thoughts were a mix of moans and professions of how much she loved me.

"Goku, give the poor woman what she wants." Liz said kindly. "I'm sure she's in dire need of your love." I smiled into the kiss and my hips met Jess's a little faster before I stopped and climaxed deep inside of her. She ended the kiss and let out a breathless cry as I closed my eyes, riding out the feeling as she put her head against my chest, breathing quietly. I inhaled quietly and moved my arms around her in a gentle hug. Her hips twitched a little and she quietly panted. "How did it feel?" I opened my eyes as Liz walked over and knelt by us, putting her hand on Jess's shoulder. Jess smiled and moved her claws to my shoulders and nuzzled my chest silently.

"Warm, good." She whispered. "Very good." Liz sighed and rubbed her shoulder, making me smile.

"Then, may I have a turn?" Liz asked sweetly. Jess looked at her with a smile before she slowly climbed off of me. "Come along, my king, and we'll see how you handle your psychic queen." I got up as Jess sighed. I saw her climb into her snow and close her eyes.

"Good night." She said quietly.

"Good night, my snow queen." I whispered, kneeling and kissing her cheek. I stood up and turned, and Liz was already under her blankets, her dress on the end of the bed. I smiled and walked over to her. When I was beside her I leaned in and kissed her, my arousal returning in seconds. I slowly moved the blanket and moved my hand to her gem, making her moan quietly into the embrace. I slowly moved to sit on the bed and my other hand moved between her legs, gently rubbing her before slipping a finger inside her. She moaned a little louder before I began rubbing her leg with my tail. She moved her hands to my chest and felt beneath the fur, tracing a few muscles before she ended the kiss. "Yes, my dancer?" She smiled and moved her hands to my shoulders.

"Please, now." She whispered.

No more words were spoken for a short time as I positioned myself carefully and slowly entered her, making her sigh quietly, giving me a loving smile that ended in another kiss. We stayed that way as we began moving. The motion of her hips coupled with my own soon found a special rhythm that she would set. I felt her love in my heart, and I slowly moved my fingers along her gem again. She let out a quiet moan and ended the kiss to arch her back and sigh quietly.

My other hand moved along her stomach before it settled around her back, just below the other part of the gem. That changed in seconds as my fingers started tracing it gently. She shivered and moaned, moving her arms around me and pulling herself up. I used my tail to keep us up while the rhythm slowly built. Her hips moving toward me, my hips matching her, and then the opposite, with her hips moving away, and mine ever so reluctantly doing the same.

"Jack." She moaned quietly. "Yes, perfect." I kissed her neck and massaged the gems gently.

"Yes, you are." I said quietly. I felt her becoming tighter around me, and I knew how close she was. But I focused with Calm Mind, wanting to give her my best. I had a constant feeling of worry in my heart all day, and I knew it stemmed from her. I had to make it up to her, because I didn't like making her worry. "Liz, I love you." She cried out quietly and I felt her bliss in my mind. Thanks to my use of Calm Mind though I was able to stay back from the edge. She breathed quietly as I slowly moved my hips. When she calmed down a little she looked at me.

"You, sneak." She whispered. I smirked before kissing her again. As she matched my rhythm I moved my hand around from her back and she moaned into my mouth again. 'Jack.' I smiled as I moved my hand down, gently teasing her before reaching that one spot that drove her faster toward the edge. 'Jack…' I gently teased the spot just above it and her hips seemed to nearly lose a step, but she looked into my eyes. 'Yes, please, I need you.' I smiled into the kiss and gently touched the spot, and her hips bucked slightly as she ended the kiss to let out a slightly louder moan.

"Are you close, my dancer?" I whispered. She nodded quickly and held herself tighter against me. After a few seconds I felt her warm walls spasm again and I smiled. 'In, or out?' She whimpered and sped up slightly. 'In, or, out?' She kissed me and instantly her tongue was wrestling with mine.

'Inside, please Goku, inside me!' She cried mentally. Our hips met quickly and soon I hilted and rolled us. Her hips bucked as my tail wrapped around her and she ended the kiss and cried out fairly loudly, and I simply kissed her neck as I filled her with my essence. After a few moments she panted quietly as she settled on my chest. "Oh, Goku, thank you."

"Anytime, my love." I whispered.


	20. Mission, Accel, fissure

**Sorry for not posting last week, but I wanted to be sure this chapter was ready. I'm glad to say that this week it is. I'm not sure if I'll post next week or not, but I'll give it my best to have a chapter ready for something. But apart from that, I'm just trying to stay focused.**

**This chapter introduces a set of temporary characters that will last at least until the next one, but expect them to return later. These characters were made by none other than Mariokutai-Reincarnated, and I thank him for them, as they allowed this chapter to be made and completed.**

**And I thank him, and Chaotyx, for giving this chapter the once over, twice. Thanks guys, I really appreciate it. Without you, I'd be stuck with a lot of errors that really should have been caught.**

**Disclaimer: I, Lord Genesis Shadow, do not own the rights to Pokémon or Pokémon Mystery Dungeon. I'm writing this out of respect and admiration and am not making any money from what I'm writing, nor do I want to. It's enough for me just to spin my tales as I do.  
…**

"Goku." Liz's voice said quietly.

"Wake up." Jess whispered. I slowly turned my head to my left and she kissed me as Liz started rubbing my chest. I opened my eyes as Jess pulled her lips away. I turned my head to my right and Liz kissed me. "We've got a lot of work to do today. We're going to check out rumors of the Honchkrow Guild operating to the south." Liz ended the kiss and stroked my cheek. They both got up and moved away from the bed as I slowly sat up.

"Oh, did we wear out our king last night?" Liz asked. I smiled as I moved over the edge of the bed. "I wish we could stay in for a little while longer, but Alex said she's got something she's got to say. We'll need to hear this." I nodded and stood up, Jess took my hand, and I smiled at her. I suddenly felt a push and I walked as Jess followed me. "Come on, let's go. Up and at 'em big guy." We walked out of the room and toward the main area. There I saw Alex standing with Julie and a Sceptile wearing an orange headband with a small necklace of wooden beads. "Hey Alex. What's up? I thought we were meeting later." Alex walked over and held out a clipboard with some papers to me. "What's this?" I took it and read it quickly.

"It's a form to formally leave Team Chaos." I said. The girls gasped.

"Alex, why are you leaving us?" Liz asked.

"I'm forming my own team." She said. "I'll still work with you and Team Order, but I think a four member team plus one is a little big. I think three teams of three are a little easier, since we can split up evenly if we have to." Liz put a hand on mine.

"You're onboard with this Julie?" I asked. She nodded and the Sceptile looked at me. He looked strong, and well trained, but it was doubtful he knew my secret, or what was going to happen in a few months.

"This is Aaron." Alex said. "His father used to be part of a Rescue Team called Aqua Vine. He's wanted to follow in his father's footsteps for a while, so I figured I'd help him."

"Capable." I said. I picked up the pen and Liz sighed quietly. "This is for the best then. Three teams can cover more ground, and we won't go in overloaded on one team from now on." She nodded as I signed my name. "Recommendation approved, remain at team leader's previous rank." I looked it over and nodded as I put the pen back. I handed the clipboard to her as she smiled.

"Thanks." She said.

"We'll be counting on your assistance today." I said. She nodded and I gave a casual salute.  
…

"So, Team Guardian." Chatot said. "And you have Goku's signature, and recommendation to retain your Guild Rank." I nodded as he hopped into the room, and Alex looked at me.

"We'll go on ahead." I said. "We'll see you in the forest." She nodded and they walked in. We turned and walked toward the entrance, and I saw Alice waiting, facing away. When we reached her I stopped as she crossed her arms.

"Honchkrow." She said, looking down at me. "She's up to something. Have you heard?"

"She's got a lot of slaves." I said. "Younglings mostly, if the information is right." She looked ahead.

"I'm on a different mission though." She said. "I'll be heading out to an area Chatot thinks will be hit by the slavers. It's up to you and a team from another area to handle this. Alex and her team will be with me on this one."

"I'm sure Julie won't like that." I said. "I'll tell her to follow your lead, just don't annoy her too much. She's pretty tough." She nodded and looked at the sky.

"Send her a message." She said. "There's no telling when Honchkrow will pack up. Odds are she might know, and she might be there. She challenged you personally once. Maybe she's expecting you." I nodded and looked up. "Do me a favor." I looked at her. "Kick her high and mighty feathered ass for me, and make sure she knows."

"Consider it Mega Kicked." I said. She turned with a smirk as I whistled. Nimbus flew down in front of us and I climbed on, followed by Liz in front of me and Jess to my side. I looked at Alice as she flapped her wings once. "See you later Red."

"Get going, your highness." She said. I moved one arm around Liz's midsection as I held Jess's hand in the other, my tail wrapped around her waist. Nimbus shot forward and up before we made a partial turn toward a forest type Mystery Dungeon.

'Julie, this is Goku.' I sent. 'Turns out you're on a different mission, with Alice. She's the head of Team Order. She's a Charizard, and her teammates are Arthur the Alakazam and Yuki the Froslass.'

'I understand, Master Goku.' She replied. 'I will respect Alice's orders, if Alex is okay with them.'

'I'll see you at the Guild later.' I sent. 'I'll start your lessons later this week, after a proper assessment during normal training.' She was silent as I looked toward the forest.

"Goku, do you think Hariyama and Vileplume will be there?" Liz asked. "Last time we saw them, they were barely holding their emotions in check."

"We might see them." I said. "Goodness knows we're overdue for their brand of trouble." As we flew over the forest I turned and spiraled down to the entrance. When we landed we jumped off and I looked around for tracks, spotting some on a tree. "Looks like, a lot of flying types. Murkrow, Fearow, even a couple of Swablu."

"We need to wait for the other team." Liz said.

"No need." A voice said. I turned my head as a small group came out of the forest, made of Pokémon I'd only recently heard of before my 'departure'.

At the head of the group was an 'Accelgor', a fast moving slug type Pokémon, far different than the 'Shelmet' it evolved from. This one wore a dark red headband with a metal plate that had a leaf engraving, and an equally red scarf with several poison barbs on it. His scarf was wrapped around the lower part of his face, with long ends that reached the ground. His eyes were just barely visible, and they were ice blue, different from what I'd heard of them.

Next to him was a large anteater Pokémon called Heatmor. It wore a headband with a blank plate, but it was worn around its neck. It also had strange eyes, only having tiny pupils with no visible iris, but the pupil itself was light blue. It was about, four foot eight, with a long beige face, its body having metal, tubes I'd call them, over red and yellow fur. It had a strange tail, kind of like, a car muffler or something similar. A 'tail' pipe really. The red and yellow fur was striped like flames, and I could tell it was a fire type.

And last of this group was a nearly four foot tall humanoid Pokémon called Leavanny, a rare bug and grass type that was known to keep its eggs warm with heat from fermenting leaves, and using leaves to make wrappings for its children, small bug Pokémon called Sewaddle. I had a feeling it was female, and she wore slightly darker green leaves than I had heard they wore, and her eyes were green instead of the red that I'd been told they would be. She, too, had a headband, also blank like the Heatmor's, but it had a small leaf sticking out of the front from the metal plate.

"We are Team Savior." She said, bowing. They all bowed. "You are Team Chaos?"

"We are." I said, bowing. We all stood up together and I held out my hand. "I'm Goku, the team leader."

"I am Sarah." The Leavanny said as she took my hand. When she let go she looked at the Heatmor. "This is Carver." He just nodded. "He doesn't speak often. Only when he has something very important he feels must be said, but hasn't been." He nodded again and the Accelgor moved over closer to me, holding out his right hand calmly.

"I am Accel." He said. "I am the leader of Team Savior." I took his hand with a small smile. "I've heard a little about you, but not much more than that you are of exceptionally high rank." He let go of my hand and I stepped back to my girls.

"I am Liz." She said calmly. "It is nice to meet you." Jess giggled. "And this is Jess."  
…

I walked down the path at the head of the group with Accel to my right. The girls were back a little ways, spread out along side paths while Carver and Sarah were on yet another side path. We kept in communication, and Accel occasionally rushed to his team to make sure they were alright. He was fast, far more than I initially expected, and the fact that he never left for more than a minute meant that he was either a master tracker or he had some good luck. As we went down the path though, I kept getting a sense that someone was watching me. My sensors detected nothing, so either there was no one watching, or perhaps it was a ghost type, like a Haunter or a Gengar, or maybe a Mismagius. I wouldn't put it past the old crow to use anyone or anything to try to get us off guard.

"Do you feel that?" Accel asked suddenly.

"Like we're being watched." I said.

"Yes." He said quietly. "I'm not quite sure what it is, but something isn't right. I think we will soon come under attack."

"I'll warn my girls." I said.

"Your girls." He repeated. "A strange way to refer to your team."

"They're also my mates." I said. I focused and sensed them. "I'll let them know to be careful of any possible ghost Pokémon. Liz really doesn't like them."

"How will you tell them?" He asked. I could tell something else was on his mind.

"I have a telepathic link with them, and others." I said. "My teacher, Master Xatu, taught me to focus my mind to use minor telekinetic abilities, and telepathy sort of developed between the lot of us. Liz, Jess, and my former teammate Alex, along with a few others you may meet soon, Alice the Charizard and her mate Arthur, the Alakazam." I sent a short message telling the girls to be careful. "And I can tell you're curious about my relationship with Liz and Jess. I've loved Liz for some time, since I was a Monferno, and she's been my friend ever since I, uh, arrived in the region. Anyway, I got clobbered by a Combusken, and Liz nearly confessed her love, but we weren't sure yet, but Jess had a crush on me before then. After I recovered from my beating, Liz, Alex, and I went to train under Master Xatu."

"I have heard of him." He said. "A taskmaster far worse than my own master."

"He denied us food if we didn't complete our tasks." I said. "We'd often go two to three days without food, and that made us push ourselves to our limits. When we finally completed his training, we evolved again to be the strongest we could possibly be. Jess was part of another team, and when we showed them that we had become almost impossibly stronger, they went to train with Master Xatu as well. Jess came back a little early, and I had to help her back into the Guild. She was exhausted, and took a few days to recover." I looked at him as he looked at me out of the corner of his eye. I looked ahead and shrugged. "After a few months her old team came back and I fought Alice and beat her. A few days later we're talking to Master Xatu and I told them that I loved them. Since then, things have worked out."

"Interesting." He said. I looked down and held out my hand. "What is it?"

"Footprints." I said quietly. "Fresh." I zoomed in and scanned them quickly. There were four distinct marks. "Looks like, Kadabra, Gengar, at least four Dodrio, and, I think they may have the aid of a couple of Golem."

"Golem?" He asked. "Here?"

"Yes." I said calmly. "Definitely Golem tracks. They do so enjoy giving me trouble. Keep an eye out for any that seem like they're about to jump. Either Fissure, Earthquake, or Magnitude. Three moves they seem _so_ fond of."

"I know." He said. I shrugged.

"Anyway, keep an eye out for the Kadabra and Gengar." I said. "As a fighting type, they have the advantage against me. I'll have trouble hitting the Gengar and the Kadabra will try to pick me up, just you watch. I'd bet fifty Poké that Honchkrow is trying to do this by the book."

"Book?" He asked. "What book?"

"Psychic attacks are tough for a fighter to block." I said. "Can't tell where it's coming from, and there's no physical defense. Makes sense from that standpoint. Ghosts can't be hit by fighters, also makes sense. Since my fire could hit a ghost, they decided Golem. Psychic defends rock and ground, rock and ground protects ghost, ghost protects psychic. That'd be where someone smart would hedge their bets. Throw in a Dodrio though, that's the clinch. Fast, that's what she's after, a distraction to keep me on edge." I looked at him as he looked at me. "We'll have to be careful. Plenty of type advantages against both of us, so teamwork is key."

"Right." He said. We walked into a clearing and stopped in the middle. "You're not drawing us into the woods, so show yourselves!" There was a silence, apart from a quiet squawk. I stepped back and grabbed the leg of the Dodrio and threw it over my head as the three heads screeched and crowed loudly as Accel suddenly threw a bunch of stars like shuriken, roughly three dozen in less than a second. I leaned back and to my left to avoid a Psybeam, leaving a partial double in the way of it for dramatic effect. "I shall draw them out!" I looked to see Accel rushing forward before a Gengar jumped in his way, licking at him, but it was a double. I tracked Accel as he moved behind Gengar and suddenly lowered the scarf and disgorged a Sludge Bomb, which seemed to actually affect his target a little.

I shot forward and punched a large stone just before it hit Accel. I stepped back against him as the four Golem walked out from the forest, along with three Kadabra. The Dodrio was out cold and Gengar was hiding. I watched for movement and the enemies seemed to be doing the same.

"I see Honchkrow has done her research." I said loudly. "Psychics, a fast three headed bird, rock types, and even a ghost to try to cover as many bases as possible. The only thing you're missing is an Empoleon to hose me down and keep the area wet."

"You will not stop our operation." The Dodrio suddenly said. I looked over at him cautiously as he got up. The three heads looked at me. "You, are a fool to, shun our way. You have power, more than any Infernape in the world, yet, you waste your talent." His legs shook as the middle head coughed.

"We do not intend to, let you defeat us so easily." The left head said.

"We are going to fight you, until the operation is complete, if we must." The right head said. I shook my head.

"Could you pick a head to talk with?" I asked seriously. "You're starting to freak me out." They growled together and I ducked out of the way of another Psybeam, but I had to move my hands, legs, and tail to avoid three more. I got up on my right hand and jumped, avoiding several thrown rocks while I saw Accel attacking the entire area with Swift, the stars he had thrown before. He spun rapidly while doing so, and he suddenly vanished. I tracked him to Dodrio, and he avoided several Drill Pecks from all three heads. "Watch out Accel, on your left!" He dodged Gengar using Shadow Ball as I hit the ground and fired a Burning Aura Sphere from each hand and my right foot, hitting three of the Kadabra and sending them flying.

"Goku, heads up!" Accel suddenly called. "Earthquake!" I looked over at the Golem as they all jumped and landed together, and the ground split open. "Fissure!" I saw Accel jump and latch onto a tree, a look of sheer terror in his eyes as the ground opened under my feet.

"Not again!" I called. I slipped down and the ground began closing in around me. I slammed my limbs out and caught the walls, activating my cybernetic enhancements to keep from being crushed. "Agh, no! Not this again! Please, you've got to be _kidding_ me!" I sighed angrily as the ground above me closed seamlessly. 'Liz, Jess, you will _never_ guess where I am right now.'

'Goku?' Jess asked.

'Are you alright?' Liz asked.

"Well, I'm underground, again.' I sent tiredly. 'Fissure, _again_. And once again, I'm kind of stuck.'

'Can you get out?' Jess asked.

'Yeah, I'll smash my way out of here.' I sent. 'I'll see you soon. And you'll definitely see my, escape. The walls are closing in on me.'

'Be careful.' They sent together. I groaned and looked around in the darkness. I only knew I was properly oriented, and that I was just a little worried of the fact that the only light around me came from my head flame. I sensed something before I came up with a plan. It was a familiar energy that reminded me of Mewtwo and Hariyama. I looked up curiously. It felt like a Hyper Beam. I shook my head and looked at the walls.

"Okay, here we go." I said quietly. I focused my mind and used a combination of moves. Strength, double Bulk Up, Rage, and a thorough infusion of Aura, but another thought hit me. I smirked as I focused on a move I'd heard about that was being taught by an Oddish to a Bellsprout. "Worth a shot." I focused and saw a sliver of green light from the Rainbow Bracer. I focused and felt my muscles growing even more than usual, but I suppressed it all for a few seconds before I pushed the ground a little away from me. "Mega Form!" I shot up through the ground as my muscles grew by more than four times, bulking me up somewhere near the size of a very angry Machoke. I looked down as Accel pulled his scarf off, a golden light in his mouth, and he leaned forward rapidly, firing a Hyper Beam that smashed into one of the Golem, and it pushed him _right_ into the hole I'd just made. I hit the ground as he looked up and I focused my Agility as much as I could. I dashed around the area, using Thunder Punch on the remaining Honchkrow Guild members. Each took one and passed right out from the super increased power behind them. I skidded to a halt as Accel set his hands on the ground, panting quietly. "Okay, that is enough of this, for one day. If I have to fight Honchkrow, I'm going to blast her with everything I've got."

"You, I, I thought, you were dead." He said between breaths. He looked up. "How did you survive that? A ground type attack, meant to immediately incapacitate, the target, if not outright kill. How?" I pulled out my pipe and sat down near him as I let out a few puffs of smoke.

"Let's just say I'm a great deal stronger than I look." I said calmly. My muscles slowly returned to the normal size as I spoke. "I combine moves. Strength, Rage, Bulk Up, and a healthy amount of Aura, yields a move I call Mega Form. It grants me a massive increase in strength, though it slows me down. Regardless, once you've caught your breath, we've got work to do. I can sense Honchkrow further in." He looked up at me. "Are you alright? You seemed a little spooked back then." He shook his head.

"Fissure." He said. "Nearly killed me before. An Earthquake attack gave way to a cavern, when I was just a Shelmet. It nearly killed me back then. I don't like ground types in general, or even the ground we're walking on." I removed the pipe and pointed the mouthpiece at him.

"Legitimate reason." I said. He seemed surprised. "At any possible time the ground could rumble and shake and open up beneath anyone, anywhere, and it could easily kill a lot of innocent Pokémon." He nodded. "But that's something you need to get over, or someday it's going to come back and bite you, hard."

"How?" He asked. "You, just said at any possible time, I could, I could be swallowed up by the very ground beneath us. How can I not be afraid of that?"

"By knowing that at any other time, lightning could strike you dead." I said. He looked at me intently. "Any second a bolt of lightning can come down and fry either one of us, or the Dodrio, or anyone near us or a hundred or more miles away." He looked down. "Any second some random Pokémon could die from anything, be it the ground, a lightning bolt, a boulder, a wildfire, a wild Pokémon on a rampage, anything. Anything can happen in life." I stood up. "Are you still scared of the ground? Knowing that any second you could die from it, or any number of things?" He shook his head slowly. "Do you want to know what I'm afraid of?" He looked up at me. "I'm afraid of small, cramped, enclosed spaces."

"R-really?" He asked. "But, you, you were underground for five minutes. I thought you were dead."

"I thought I was a goner too." I said honestly. "But I kept my cool. Do you know why?" He shook his head. "Because I saw you were scared. I knew you were alone, against Pokémon that might have tried to capture you and sell you into slavery, or worse. And, my girls, I knew that I had to forget my fear and just get out of there to keep them safe." I held out my hand. "And speaking of my girls, they'll probably find Honchkrow's operation soon. We should go and make sure they're alright." He slowly took my hand and stood up.

"First, I, I need to know." He said. "How do you, forget fear? You were trapped, in such a dark place, and who knows how far down the fall was. How do you just forget what you're afraid of?"

"I remind myself of why I have to be brave, why I fight." I said. "Liz and Jess love me, and they need me as much as I need them. They need me to stay alive, to protect them, and show them how much they mean to me." I smirked. "Besides that, there's a lot left I've got to do, and for now, we don't have time for our fears. We've got to stop Honchkrow and free everyone she's captured."


	21. Zen, Seeds, Past

**Sorry for the delay in posting this. I like to wait until I'm sure everything is set, and I had a few things besides that occupying my thoughts. And, this morning I was running a little out of it. One of those days where my brain just kind of took a lot longer than usual to warm up properly. But now that I've resolved the thoughts and my brain is warmed up, here you go.**

**Thanks go to Chaotyx and Mariokutai-Reincarnated for checking this chapter to make sure everything worked out properly. And thanks to TomA62975 for reminding me that today is Friday. If he hadn't, I'd be posting three or four hours from now and the apology above would be twice as long. And if you haven't read their stories, do so when you get the chance.**

**Disclaimer: I, Lord Genesis Shadow, do hereby state that I do not own the rights to Pokémon or Pokémon Mystery Dungeon. Chaotyx, Mariokutai-Reincarnated, and TomA62975 do not own the rights either. If any of us did, I'm fairly certain things would have turned out different, and not always for the better.  
…**

We moved slowly as I looked around the area. Honchkrow was issuing orders calmly, but with a tone that showed her influence. The girls were on the other side, well hidden, with Sarah and Carver. They were more than forty feet apart, and when they stopped we were set to attack three places where we could do the most possible disruption.

"Jack." Accel asked quietly. "There are a good deal of Golem around, and Machamp. The chances of Fissure and Earthquake are very high. If you fall again, can you get out?"

"If I get sucked down again, I'm not holding back anymore." I said in a low voice. "It'll be a silvery flaming blur with Aura Spheres flying everywhere…"

"Silvery?" He asked quietly. "You are red. Surely your scarf cannot hide you completely." I pulled the Metal Coat out of my pack and slowly opened it. "Metal Coat? Where did you get that? It is exceedingly difficult to find, and prohibitively expensive." I slowly removed the lid.

"A blind Aura Reader gave it to me." I said quietly. "I was going to a challenge when I spoke to her. She gave me this so I could get a better advantage." I dipped my fingers into it and fought a shiver. "I'm going to cause as much initial damage as possible to scare them." The metal covered the last of me and I closed the jar quietly. It still felt strange, foreign, and my flame started burning hotter.

"I am ready." He said. "What is the plan?"

"Start off with Swift." I said. "Liz will use Magical Leaf, and I've asked her to suggest that Sarah use Razor Leaf. I'll rush in and start working on the Golem at full speed." He nodded, visibly confused at either the metallic tone or how serious I was. "Jess will back me up and use Powder Snow on anything that flies, with Carver providing a Smokescreen as a distraction, followed by Flamethrower." He nodded a look of understanding.

"Strike wide, cause discord, and then, what?" He asked.

"Do as you will." I said. "The initial assault will be the best moment to capitalize on any damage we can do right away. Aim for the Machamp, but leave Honchkrow to me. This is between me and her."

"She, threatened your mates?" He asked.

"She will." I said. "I'm going to make sure she knows to leave them alone before she makes the threat." He nodded shakily as I prepared myself. My muscles grew a little and I focused my eyes, activating just a few cybernetics. "Don't hold back." He inhaled deeply before summoning a handful of glowing stars. "Three… Two…" I growled quietly. "Go!" A great deal of leaves, glowing and regular, shot out of the bushes as I ran forward, my hands and feet shimmering from Ice Punch, though there was trace amounts of my Aura. I raced the stars as they diverged and began hitting the Machamp, making them begin the process of staggering. My fists were a blur even to my eyes as I jumped from one Golem to another, punching them and knocking them specifically toward the staggered Machamp. As I hit them, I saw Jess striking with Metal Claw at the ones I hadn't made it to yet. She looked at me and we both nodded, but she opened her mouth in warning but I had suddenly been tossed aside by something. I skidded to a halt and looked up to see a Blaziken, but not just any Blaziken. This one had a cracked beak and was glaring at me through a pair of clear glasses made of, ice. He rushed at me and I sped up a little more before he suddenly vanished, my fist passing through where he was, but I stopped my arm instantly as I stepped back. "Where did he go?"

"I don't know." Liz said. "He just, left." I looked around and sensed for him, but there was nothing different than before. I spun and kicked a Machamp as I heard her fire an Ice Beam. "We're surrounded." I looked around as I drew my staff. As I drew it, a large blob of purple gunk flew over us and exploded on some of the Pokémon in front of us, a mix of Dodrio, Machamp, two Gengar, and a handful of Mankey. I looked at Liz and she nodded.

"I can handle this." She said. "Get Honchkrow." I nodded and ran past her, making her watch as I jumped over a pair of Dodrio who tried to peck me, and only ended up hitting each other. As they began squawking I rushed toward the black feathered bird as she turned. Something was different, but I wasn't in any mood to question what that something was.

"So, we meet again, Goku." She said quietly.

"My friends and mates call me Goku." I said coldly. "You are neither, and you never will be." I spun the staff and held it behind me as I walked toward her, stopping ten feet from her. "I'm only going to warn you one last time. Stop the slavery, stop the evil Tauros-crap, and stop bothering innocent Pokémon." She laughed into her wing.

"I can't do that." She said. "I have bills to pay and little beaks to feed." I growled and narrowed my eyes as I made my flames burn even hotter. "Steelix, deal with him." I jumped as a massive Steelix burst from the ground, and I landed several feet away. It turned to me and started moving, but I just caught it in the jaw with a normal uppercut, sending it flying away from me and Honchkrow, landing it on top of a group of Golem and Machamp. "Just as powerful, as you were said to be." For the first time, she was nervous. I heard the sounds of battle, and her eyes darted to them as I slowly walked toward her. She backed away, and a trap burst behind her. Several more went up from my Aura and she became even more visibly unnerved.

"Honchkrow, make your choice." I said in a dark tone. "Either pack up and leave, or suffer the consequences." She flapped her wings once before I spun and swung the staff, which had grown to the necessary length I needed it to be. To my surprise, it went over her head as she ran toward the forest. I flew to her and grabbed her just as she turned, and I held her to a tree, the staff held carefully behind me. "I warned you once. And I gave you a chance. Now, you're not going to even get a chance to fly back to your base. Officer Magnezone will have a nice cold cell for you." With no warning, a puff of smoke engulfed us and I felt something different under my fingers, and two hands grabbed my arm.

"P-please, don't hurt me." A female voice whispered. I spun my tail and the smoke began flying behind me until I saw a strange fox Pokémon with black fur on her face, and red fur around her light bluish green eyes. I focused my thoughts and sensed that the battle was completely over, and the others were freeing prisoners. "H-Honchkrow threatened m-my sister. I had no choice." I let go of her and stepped back. "Please, I had no choice." She slid to her knees as I watched her.

"The rumors that Honchkrow would be here." I said. She whimpered. "You were the one who was spreading them?" She nodded shakily and I clenched my fist, causing her to look away. "And, she used your sister, to get you, to get to me." She whimpered again as I focused some Aura to my hand. She held her hands up for a moment before I turned and loosed the sphere on a flying Murkrow that was trying to escape. It flew to the ground, likely injured to the point it would take weeks to get back in the air. I turned as she looked up and I pulled the jar for the Metal Coat out of my pack. "I'll need details." I looked at her for a moment. She had a long red main that went down her back, tied with a small bead. She had thin upper arms, and her lower arms were just a little thicker, ending in three red claws. "Who are you?" I opened the jar as she slowly got up.

"M-my name is, Zen." She said quietly. "I-, I am a Zoroark." I let the Metal Coat slide back into the jar and closed the lid. "What will you do now? Wh-what happens to me?"

"You'll come with us to the Guild." I said. "And we'll have a talk about what happened to your sister." I let my body rest from the exertion and fought a sigh of relief. "How she was captured, how they got to you, and most importantly, I want to know where Honchkrow's guild is."

"I don't know where the guild is." She said quickly. "They contacted me by letter." She reached into her mane and pulled out an envelope as I put the jar away after putting the lid back. "W-will you help me rescue her?" I took the envelope slowly and opened it, and looked at the letter. She stared while Liz walked over, and I slowly took in what it said.

"Goku?" Liz asked.

"Honchkrow has Zen's sister." I said. "A Zorua named Kara. We need to rescue her soon. Honchkrow plans to sell her in three weeks if Zen doesn't act as a body double for her. She'll probably do it anyway."

"No, please, y-you have to help me find her." Zen said quickly.

"You ran from me." I said. "Understandable, considering how angry I was." She swallowed as I folded the letter and handed it to her. "I'll do my best, but I need to find a way to know when and where the other slave transactions are taking place. There were no buyers here?" She shook her head.

"Th-this was a trap, to, assess your strength." She said. "She'll know how strong you are now."

"No Pokémon were seen leaving the area." Accel said. Zen stepped back into the tree as she tucked the letter into her mane again. "It is safe to assume that they know how Goku and his team operate. Now they will have more information to go on." I nodded.

"I can't just, sit and wait." Zen said. "I have to save her."

"Come with us to Wigglytuff's Guild." I said calmly. "Anything that can help us, including the slaves and their captors telling us what they know, brings us closer to capturing Honchkrow." She nodded shakily as I looked at the others. The slavers had all been cuffed, and the now free slaves were at the Guild. I turned back to her as I held out my badge. "Tell Chatot to wait for us. We'll be there shortly." She nodded and touched the badge and was teleported away. I turned to Liz as she looked at me.

"Goku, are you sure we can trust her?" She asked.

"I'm not sure." I said. "But she's scared of me, and that means she won't try anything at the Guild for fear of reprisal."

"You certainly were acting the part." Accel said. I looked at him. "For a moment, I thought you might have actually killed that Steelix and those Golem and Machamp."

"Yes, but where did Blaziken go?" I asked. Jess walked over with the rest of Accel's team.

"No sign." Carver said quietly. He had an oddly smooth voice. "Appeared for a few seconds, left, no sign of footprints or smell." I crossed my arms in thought before removing my sunglasses.

"I wonder if he was here at all." I said. "If Zen could appear as Honchkrow, I'd have said she was the Blaziken in disguise, but she changed back with a puff of smoke. He just, vanished."

"Maybe he was just an illusion?" Sarah offered.

"I'm not entirely sure." I said. "I felt his hit, a kick if my ribs are correct." Accel made a curious sound. "A hit that hurt me through Metal Coat, and me at over three quarters of my full strength. Something about his appearance doesn't sit well with me. Either he was here and left to show off his speed or new powers, or he came to test me, but why? Why me, and why now?"  
…

I threw a few punches at the Decoy I had created. It moved and fought like me, almost perfectly. The only downside was that he was only at a quarter of my strength. As we fought, I began correcting weak points in my stance, flowing a little more easily, moving around his punches instead of next to them. I was basically chancing more than I should have when I dodged, and it started to get to me. Up until a few months ago, I hadn't been taking things seriously, and even after a few things, I was still taking it a little lightly. But if Blaziken really had been a part of my battle, I couldn't let him get me like that again. If he started attacking me during missions, I could end up in serious trouble. Worse, if he attacked the girls at such speed, there would be no way for me to protect them.

'I can't let him hurt them.' I thought as I dodged a punch and tried to counter. My double moved away just like I had learned to and I stepped back to watch him. I began charging a Solar Beam, slowly, and I felt the same energy from him. The trick was, not to get in a direct clash with it with my own. He could throw it back in equal measure. I had to get up close and launch it right before he did, and that would mean I was better than I was before. 'I _won't_ let him hurt them.' He went into the stance quickly and I jumped up. He fired it and I kicked off of a bit of my Aura before using the same energy to land in front of him. He looked at me as I went through the stance rapidly. "Solar Aura Beam!" I pointed my palms at him and fired the silvery yellow beam. Before it had just been Aura from the area around me, but now it was my own, which was growing steadily stronger. The beam was a lot larger than normal, and when it finally died down, it left a long crater in front of me, pointing out to the sea as a massive column of water shot into the air. I lowered my arms, and a little of the energy remained in me. I let it stay though, so I could use it as a form of Synthesis. I breathed quietly and sensed a presence nearby. "Accel."

"Jack." He said. He moved over by me and stared out to the sea with me for a few minutes before he shifted, and I heard his scarf. "The Zoroark won't let up. She wants to help you somehow. Your mates suggested that she would help the entire guild if she could. I'm not sure what she will do, but she is genuine in her wish to save her sister." I nodded. "Do you know of Joy Seeds?"

"Only that I'm not going near them again if I can help it." I said.

"Then, I apologize." He said. I looked down as he held up a few, his hand shaking a little. "Take them."

"Why?" I asked. "I don't eat Joy Seeds. I usually destroy them."

"That is what Elizabeth told me." He said quietly. "A real warrior grows stronger by his own hand, not by using fancy Arbok-oil in a fancy shell." I took the seeds slowly and contemplated burning them, but instead I held my palm out and fired a mini Solar Beam to destroy them. "You use many attacks meant for other types. It is, interesting."

"I like variety." I said. "Psychic abilities, Aura, Ice Punch, and I combine them to make effective combos."

"Perhaps I will try that one day." He said. I nodded as I lowered my arm, and we were silent for a few more minutes. "If you had a friend, a rival perhaps, who kidnapped one or both of your mates…" I looked at him. "What would you do?"

"I'd rescue them." I said.

"And, if he would try again, as many times as he could?" He asked. "If he vowed to steal her away until he or you could no longer draw breath, would you, kill him?"

"I'd beat him again and again until he gave up." I said. "Hit someone enough times, they start to learn that it hurts, and they try to avoid that response however they can."

"But, if he never learned." He said.

"Then I'd keep beating him." I said simply. "I'd keep beating him until the day he was too old and tired to keep trying." I looked at the water again. "Why do you ask? Do you think Honchkrow will try to kidnap Liz and Jess? Or, Blaziken?" He was silent. "Just so you know, Honchkrow is female, and Blaziken probably just wants me dead on his terms, but he's not that focused on me. I don't even know if that was him I got kicked by."

"Grit." He said quietly. I looked at him. "An Escavalier named Grit took my mate from me. He defeated me, badly, and since then I've been trying to track him down. Despite his armor, he has managed to keep at least one step ahead of me for a long time."He sighed heavily. "His armor, used to be my shell. But, we were rivals then, wanting to trade what made us strong back then so we could become stronger in our own ways. We evolved with each other's help, and I became fast in his skin while he became strong in my shell." He looked up at me. "In trading our strengths for such changes, I made a grave mistake. His armor could stand up to my attacks, but I was so fast I could hit him in the first few weeks. I made a fool of him, and in my enthusiastic state of finally besting him at something, I made him into a rival, not a friend. Eventually…" He looked out to the sea. "He left, for a few months. I learned he trained under a very old Escavalier who had learned how to defeat the weight of his armor through some kind of stone. It cut the weight of his entire body by half, allowing him to move just a little faster than I could attack, closing the shell to let it take the hit as he used Iron Defense until I couldn't hurt him. He used Harden on his own body while he closed the shell, so that when it opened, I still couldn't do anything." He lowered his body, slumping forward but never losing sight of the ocean. "He used Sword Dance, laughing the whole time while my mate cheered me on. I gave it my all, using a shower of Swift and, my best attacks." I moved my staff out and I leaned on it as I looked at him. I could feel the pain in his voice, though it was just hidden. "When he finally attacked me, with one Slash, he sent me sprawling and barely alive. He wasn't holding back, and I thought we were sparring. He moved up to me, and as I looked up, he just dropped his shell on my head, knocking me out. When I came to a few hours later, I found that he had taken my mate, and left a note, taunting me that he would make her love him." He lowered his body and sat down, and I followed. "He swore that she would take him as her mate, that she would have his children someday. I made a vow that I would find him, and defeat him however I must, even if we both have to die, to save her." I moved my staff in front of me as he looked over.

"I think that there is always another way." I said quietly. "You can defeat him, but neither of you must die in the attempt." His eyes were hopeful, but at the same time he seemed shocked at the notion. "I know you can beat him if you keep training. Get faster, stronger, and better and you _will_ defeat him. Perhaps you can find a way to bring him to his senses, regain your friend, or at least set things right between you both." His expression softened before he looked out to the sea.

"Have you, ever lost a friend?" He asked.

"I have." I said. "It still hurts, but there's nothing I can do. Maybe you can make peace with Grit, maybe you can't. But you should try to at least set things right between you so that you can end this rivalry for good." He made a quiet sound. It was less than a sigh, but not quite a grunt.

"I wonder if that is possible." He said. "If you could fix things with your friend…"

"I can't." I said. I felt his gaze. "I know that things between my old friend and I are… difficult. We can't mend things for one reason that I must keep to myself." I looked at him. "But you and Grit, can try." I held out my hand, and he slowly took it. "It has been an honor fighting beside you Accel. If you're ever in the area with your mate, look us up." He nodded.

"I think we might do that." He said quietly.


End file.
